Fatal Attraction
by Ione-Sama
Summary: She felt hopelessly invisible to him. He was utterly captivated by her. Would their torrent of unspoken emotions ever find a middle ground? Rated M just to be safe! Review as always, NOW COMPLETE!
1. Matsuri's Request

Note: a bit of GaaMatsuri ficlets running around in my head—not really sure where this is going yet. Set Post-War, NO FLAMES please and review!

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"Please, Temari-Sama…I need this."

The blonde sand Kunoichi sat on the edge of her brother's desk—the Kazekage himself being out at the moment—and eyed the petite brunette with uncertain scrutiny.

"Matsuri, I don't doubt your skills as an ambassador but…you've only accompanied me on two diplomatic missions, both of which only lasted a week at the most; I just don't think you're ready to take on this mission on your own! Even if it is Konoha, you just don't have enough experience."

"But I've been shadowing you for the last eighteen months, Temari-sama! And besides that, I'd only been in Konoha for six months on my own; you'd have to be there afterwards because of the wedding, yes?"

Temari hesitated. "Well that is technically true; Shikamaru and I have a lot of things to finalize for the wedding but—"

The brunette perked up at this and took a hopeful step forward. "Then please, Temari-sama let me do this!"

Temari gazed at the eager brown-haired woman, sympathy showing in her green eyes.

"I've worked so hard…for two years; I was Gaara-sama's student for a year just before the war broke out and then after that, I worked harder than ever to get where I am! But I can't—"The young woman's lip trembled as she struggled with her emotions. "I can't go any further if I stay here; not now. Not when I can't even control how I feel, yet I have to see _him_ every single day…" She trailed off, meeting Temari's eyes. "I want to be the best kunoichi that I can be, Temari-sama…but I can't do that and be near h-him. Not when he just goes on as if I'm completely invisible to him. I k-know it's selfish but I j-just can't—"

Temari reached the woman and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Alright that's enough, Matsuri. Enough. Just—I understand, believe me. I'll…alright. You can have the mission."

Matsuri's brown eyes flickered upwards, gleaming with relief and excitement. "Oh! Thank you, Temari-sama, thank you, thank you so much I-!"

And in a burst of overwhelming gratitude, she threw her arms around the older woman in a suffocating embrace.


	2. Reunion

_**Seven Months Later…**_

"Temari-sama!" a slender, brunette woman stood at the gates of Konoha, chestnut brown hair hung over one shoulder in a fishtail braid that reached a little past her shoulders—waving excitedly.

Temari smiled, waving back, green eyes widening a fraction when she beheld her former understudy—the girl had grown.

"Matsuri-chan, what on earth?!" The older woman grinned when the younger one threw her arms around her in a hug, only to pull back a second later.

"I've been here since this morning! I just couldn't wait to see you!" The young woman flicked her long braid over her shoulder, absently, as if it was an unconscious habit.

Temari fingered the young woman's hair momentarily. "Your hair's longer…it's different."

At the other woman's uncertain questioning gaze, Temari broke out into a grin.

"It's a good different."

"Well, well, well, look if it isn't the future Mrs. Nara…" a lazy drawl drew both womens' attention to where the dark-haired Konoha strategist stood leaning against a lamp post with a cigarette in his mouth and a lazy smirk that reached his eyes.

"Well if it isn't the laziest man in all the land of Fire!" Temari retorted but her lips were already pulling into a smile when she neared her fiancé and gripped the collar of his jacket to pull him in for a kiss.

Matsuri flushed with embarrassment but she smiled in spite of it—she was always warmed at the sight of seeing her former teacher and best friend, so in love even if it was with the most unlikely man.

"Whoa, easy there woman." Shikamaru drawled, a dazed expression on his face as he stared down at his woman, grinning rakishly. "It ain't the honeymoon just yet—you're gonna make it awful hard for me to—wait." His eyes smoldered as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, all the while holding her firmly by the waist, unconsciously signaling to the rest of the world that she belonged to him.

Temari smiled, leaning into his touch. "Mmm…you think you're the only one? Not a chance, mister." She smirked suggestively at him while grabbing his hand and lacing their fingers together.

"You two…honestly, there are people watching!" Matsuri drew the attention of the preoccupied pair and the two had the decency to blush. "S-sorry about that, Matsuri." The Nara scratched the back of his head sheepishly but couldn't quite bring himself to tear his eyes away from his equally-blushing fiancé.

Matsuri shook her head, smirking. "Oh nevermind, let's just get Temari-sama settled in and then maybe we can all go out for dinner? It's about time we celebrate!"

With that, the couple followed the animated young woman, hand-in-hand as they chatted all the way.

Every now and then, Shikamaru would say something that Temari highly disagreed with and the two would get into a heated debate.

But Matsuri simply smiled contentedly to herself—she loved moments like this and she wouldn't have it any other way.


	3. Changes

_**Ten Months Later (Three months since Temari's arrival)…**_

 _ **Two Months before the Wedding…**_

Matsuri stood before the full-length mirror in her room. She surveyed the emerald green kimono that reached to mid-thigh, with skepticism. Her sense of style had changed over the last four months—mostly thanks to Temari—but even still, her present outfit had more than a few doubts flitting through the young woman's head.

She'd paired it with a netted undershirt as well as a pair of black short-shorts that afforded her some much-needed coverage underneath.

The matching thigh-high black leather stockings were a necessity Temari had insisted on—it would keep her legs protected from the elements and during training, she would suffer a lot fewer injuries; it was common knowledge that Matsuri was clumsy and even after the simplest of training sessions, the girl's arms and legs would be riddled with all manner of scrapes, cuts and bruises—enough that one would think she'd been through a war.

"Honestly, Matsuri, you are so accident-prone I don't know how you managed to survive the war." Temari had chuckled to herself, earning an indignant scowl from the younger woman who was in the middle of braiding her hair to one side, weaving a thread of red ribbon through it as she did so.

Matsuri's hair grew at an alarming rate and now reached to the middle of her back. As a result she had to keep it braided almost every day in order to keep it out of the way—she'd thought about cutting it again but Temari was against it. She thought it was an exceptionally good look on the younger woman and besides that, the eldest sand sibling had another ulterior motive for wanting Matsuri to keep her hair; the blonde kunoichi smirked evilly to herself.

As Matsuri pulled on her black boots, and green fingerless gloves, she glanced down at herself one last time before standing to her feet. With her trademark Johyo weapon strapped to her waist, she'd also acquired a surprising amount of skill with the Zanbato—an exceedingly large sword that very few were able to wield on account of its enormous size. But Matsuri was stronger than most and had trained with Temari as well as Gaara. Considering the blonde woman's own affinity for large weapons, it was really no surprise that the younger woman had developed a liking for such a weapon.

Strapping her Zanbato to her back, Matsuri nodded to Temari and the two woman set out for their meeting with Shikamaru and Naruto; the four of them were meeting to discuss details for the coming wedding and they'd planned an early dinner to give them plenty of time afterwards.

Little did they know that at that very moment, an entourage of Sand ANBU were nearing the gates of Konoha, with a painted masked man and a tall red-headed Kazekage in their midst.


	4. The Kazekage

_Here's chapter 4! Once again, I'm not really too sure on where this is going but I DO know that from here on, the chapters are going to be a bit intense between Matsuri and Gaara. Reason being is as we know, they haven't seen each other in quite a while and also, Gaara is still learning about human emotions so for me, I imagine him getting overwhelmed and reacting a bit intensely when it comes to dealing with new feelings. I hope this tidbit of a fiction is something you guys are happy with. Review, review, review as always!_

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"Gaara!" Temari stood from her seat in the booth next to Shikamaru, more than a little surprised at seeing her little brother standing just inside the entrance to the restaurant.

"Gaara, hey! It's great to see you but I didn't think you'd be here until next month!" Naruto reached his best friend and shook his hand heartily, the widest foxy grin on his face.

"That was the original plan…however, I had an inclination to come see you as soon as possible; besides, Kankuro has been an impossible pain in my ass, since you've been gone." He scowled at the man beside him. "He's insufferable and driving me up a wall."

Temari laughed hysterically as she reached her brothers, grabbing Kankuro in a fierce hug and offering her youngest brother an uncharacteristic peck on the cheek.

The Kazekage's cheeks flushed a deep red and he looked away, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Honestly, Gaara, you're such a worrier! I've been perfectly fine. But it is really good to see you—both of you. Now that you're here, hopefully we can get everything finalized."

"Oh hell no! There ain't no way I'm going to pick out flowers with you two, forget it!"

"Relax." Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "If anything the last thing we'd want is you meddling in the wedding preparations—but the political aspect of it, yeah we could definitely use your help; Temari's been pulling her hair out…let's just say some of the Konoha Councilmen aren't as…understanding and cooperative as we'd hoped."

Gaara nodded in understanding, his impassive expression never wavering. "I see. I had expected this so it is good that we've arrived earlier than planned; I should meet with the Hokage so we can discuss and finalize terms."

Temari let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you, Gaara; if there's anyone that can convince these old crones to see our side, it's you…I don't trust myself to go back in there without breaking a few necks in the process." The blonde scowled darkly but relaxed in the next moment when she felt Shikamaru's hand slip into hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

She smiled softly.

Kankuro glanced past his sister and his face broke out into a grin. "Hey there, Ms. Thing! Long time, no see!"

Matsuri stepped forward, her cheeks reddening slightly as everyone's attention was now focused on her. "Kankuro…good to see you." She threw one arm around his shoulders in a light hug but the puppeteer caught her off guard as usual and lifted her off the floor to spin her around.

When her feet touched the floor again, she shook her head. "Honestly, Kankuro; you don't change at all."

He shrugged. "Well why meddle with perfection?" he winked, earning an eye roll from everyone in the group but he only grinned wider.

At length, Matsuri turned her attention to Gaara—she appeared calm and composed but on the inside, she was damn near falling apart.

"Gaara-sama." She bowed deeply at the waist. "It is good to see you."

Gaara stiffly observed her, a blank expression on his face until a sliver of confusion past through his jade eyes.

"Forgive me but, have we met?"

Temari gasped, green eyes wide.

This wasn't good.

"Are you shitting me?!" Kankuro exclaimed in disbelief.

Matsuri was frozen, still bowed at the waist but her hands were now clenched into fists and her lithe frame started shaking.

Temari noticed and stepped away from Shikamaru's side, putting herself between Matsuri and her brother.

"Matsuri." She murmured warningly—she knew the young woman was losing her control and if she didn't put a stop to it now, Matsuri would snap and do something she would regret…unlike most people believed, Matsuri had the worst temper; her fuse was a long one but once it burned to its end, the result was worse than a volcano exploding.

Gaara's eyes widened when his sister had spoken the young woman's name… _Matsuri? It couldn't be…_ He was stunned.

"Matsuri." Temari echoed sternly, laying a strong hand on the young woman's shoulder.

Matsuri straightened again, her black eyes trained on Temari's green ones as she clenched her jaw, fighting for control.

"P-permission to be excused, Temari-sama."

The blonde woman eyed her carefully, sensing the young woman's turmoil. She had hoped that this time away from Suna would have given Matsuri some perspective and even freedom from her emotional ties to Gaara…but from the painfully clenched jaw and the devastated look in the woman's glistening eyes that was not the case. Seeing Gaara again had only made things worse it appeared.

Temari sighed, pulling the young woman aside and attempting to reason with her; she spoke in a hushed, subdued tone. "Look, Matsuri…I know that this isn't easy for you and believe me, I can only imagine what you're…feeling right now but you knew this was coming and—"

"He doesn't even recognize me." She gritted out, keeping her black eyes nailed to the floor.

"It's only because you've changed, Matsuri and that's a good thing!"

"Are we done?"

Temari's mouth slammed shut. She wasn't going to get anywhere at this rate.

Relenting, her hands slipped from the young woman's shoulders. "If this is what you want…"

"Unless you want to see your Kazekage flat on his back—then yes, I strongly suggest you let me go. Now." Matsuri whispered harshly.

Temari's green eyes widened in surprise. It was bold of Matsuri to even consider assaulting the Kazekage, yet the woman's stubbornness to fulfill her duty as a shinobi, clearly outweighed her anger—leaving was her way of protecting Gaara even if she wanted nothing more than to beat the shit out of him for his idiocy.

"Go." Temari commanded and Matsuri nodded curtly, moving swiftly past the older woman, keeping her eyes trained straight ahead.

She swept passed the others with only a slight nod but when she came to Gaara, she brushed past him without a nod or even a glance in his direction and was out the door in an instant.

"Well. That could've been a hell of a lot worse." Nara commented stiffly.

"Gaara, what…what in the hell, Man?! How could you not even remember her? She was your student for kami's sake!" Kankuro exclaimed angrily, glaring at his younger brother who only stared in the direction Matsuri had just gone moments ago.

"She's changed." The red-head noted, his voice monotone. But Temari could see it in his eyes; the man was shaken to his core and he had no idea what he was supposed to do.


	5. Precious

For the next three days, Matsuri isolated herself; she rarely left Temari's apartment and most times, she hardly left her room except to shower, eat and train.

It was the morning of the fourth day and her alarm was going off, jerking her awake and leaving her with an instant headache.

When she finally rolled out of bed however, one glance at her bedside clock had her in a panic.

"Shit! I'm late!"

Grabbing her nude lace bra and a pair of matching panties, she dashed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

She was supposed to meet Temari that morning for a two hour training session; it wasn't much but with the Suna Princess so preoccupied with wedding plans, usually she couldn't even spare two hours so Matsuri was simply thankful that Temari spared her any time at all.

The hot water beating down on her bare back, felt good but the young woman knew she couldn't afford to linger.

Turning the water off, she threw open the glass door and grabbed the towel.

Her eyes caught sight of the small wall clock and she 'eeped', barely drying off the rest of her body before throwing on her shin-length green silk bathrobe and bursting out of the bathroom.

She was rounding the corner to her room—in a rush of course—when she suddenly crashed into something solid and both it and she went crashing to the floor.

Her face was buried in something thick and warm and when she inhaled, she smelled the desert and pomegranates.

She knew that smell anywhere.

"Matsuri?"

All the color drained from her face and she slowly tilted her head up where she was met with two wide, aquamarine orbs staring deeply into her eyes.

"I—!"

She was sprawled on top of Gaara—practically straddling him—and suddenly, she had no voice or words to offer as he continued staring into her eyes, seemingly oblivious to their compromising position.

Gaara inspected her face carefully; she looked terrified and something about the way her eyes widened in fear when she looked at him, hurt deeply and without even realizing it, his hand came up to cup her cheek. "Are you alright? I apologize, I was under the impression that Shikamaru would be here…"

Matsuri let out a shuddering breath, the fingers on her right hand curled into a tiny fist. "He—he's with N-Naruto-sama I t-think. S-something to do with the w-wedding but I think they'll be—"

He could feel her entire body shaking and a deep sense of concern took hold of him and he pushed himself up. "Matsuri—forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you, I just—"

"N-no, it's entirely my f-fault, Kazekage-sama, I wasn't—"

It was then that he took notice of Matsuri's attire; it was a thin, green silk robe whose hem was somewhat precariously tangled around her legs. It had most likely happened during the fall and because of the way she'd landed on him, the front of her robe was gaping just slightly and his eyes caught sight of a bit of her bared shoulder and collar bone.

Something unknown began to stir within him and the Kazekage found that not only was his heart beginning to race but breathing suddenly became a bit more difficult.

Catching where his eyes lingered, Matsuri felt a wave of excitement and shame wash over her and her cheeks flooded with crimson.

Gaara shook his head, attempting to clear the onslaught of inappropriate thoughts, and refocused on the woman before him—well _on top_ of him.

He saw something glistening in her eyes—were those tears? Intense worry encompassed him and he cradled her face in his hands, sitting all the way up. "Matsuri, what is that has you so upset?"

"Wha—?"

A tear slipped unnoticed down her cheek and instinctively, Gaara caught it with his thumb and flicked it away.

"You are…crying." He searched for the word, wincing just slightly as it slipped awkwardly off his tongue; he was still adjusting to putting emotions into words.

When is aquamarine eyes met hers again, Matsuri felt all the emotions she'd kept so carefully bottled up for the last ten months, beginning to seep through.

More tears welled up in her eyes and she could feel herself losing all control.

A shudder ripped through her body, followed by a strangled sob.

"Please!" She withdrew from his touch but something in Gaara didn't want to let her go.

"Matsuri, what—?"

She shook her head, gripping his hand and prying it from her cheek as she finally managed to put distance between them.

"I c-can't…I c-can't!" She stood shakily to her feet and backed away from him, tears streaming freely down her sun-kissed cheeks.

Standing to his feet, Gaara resisted the urge to reach out to her and simply clenched his fists at his sides. "Matsuri." He tried again. "Please tell me what's wrong."

"I can't be near you right now." She whispered shakily, refusing to look at him.

His ocean eyes widened but otherwise, his expression was impassive.

A long moment of silence stretched between the two until something occurred to him and his lips curved into the minutest of smiles. "It really _is you. You've…changed."_

"Don't. Don't talk to me as if you know me, Kazekage-sama."

His expression sobered at the overly formal way she addressed him and he wondered what had become of his starry-eyed, energetic protégé.

"Forgive me, Matsuri but—I'm at a loss as to how I have upset you. Have I?"

Another shuddering sob escaped her and it was then, she met his eyes—her own ridden with pain. "You—you _didn't even recoginize me! How is it that I spent two years as your one and only student, yet you…you didn't even know me?!"_

The mysterious pieces were beginning to come together and the redhead felt a sharp pang of guilt lance through his heart.

"I—there is no excuse for my behavior, you are right. I can't express how deeply sorry I am but I—Temari never told me you had been chosen as her replacement; she never once mentioned your name to me during the time that I approved her request for a new liason. Then I come here and I find _you—_ only you are so changed, Matsuri."

Her tears had quieted and she couldn't resist the urge to look at him then.

The look in his eyes took her breath away; it was intense, focused and numerous emotions swam in those aquamarine depths, each one somehow unfamiliar to her.

"You were a _child then…_ yet I find you—" His eyes did a brief up-and-down scan of her from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes, then back up to settle on her black eyes.

"A _woman_ now."

Her cheeks flushed in spite of herself and her lips parted with a tiny gasp.

Something about her reaction pleased him and he felt that uncanny urge to smile again but it only just reached his eyes.

"I—I s-suppose I can't quite—fault you for not—recognizing me in that moment." Her fingers gripped the collar of her robe, pulling it more tightly around her shoulders; she suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable in front of him—not to mention that intense, deep look in his eyes hadn't faded and it made her shiver.

"Perhaps…we could start over then?"

She fought back a tiny smile and failed. But the next thought that occurred to her, had her smile fading instantly.

Sensing her renewed sensitivity, Gaara felt a sharp twinge of pain, knowing he'd hurt her deeply and he reached out his hand. "Matsuri…please."

The way her name fell from his lips so easily both thrilled and pained her; how could she have been so invisible to him back then, yet now be treated with such honest sincerity?

"I don't—I don't understand you." She said quietly, fiddling with the tie of her robe and quelling urge to cry. "I just—I was so _enchanted by you."_

Her admission surprised him and he found himself almost gaping at her in astonishment.

"Everyone else was so terrified of you but there was something else in you that I saw—something that made me want you as my sensei, with all my heart—but then when you—I couldn't b-believe it when they told me you'd been stolen away…"

Her voice trembled with emotion and Gaara wondered if he would ever come to understand women.

"I—I c-couldn't hardly b-breathe! When I saw you laying there…dead." A tear slipped from beneath her lashes, staining her cheek.

His arms ached for her but he didn't know exactly what they ached for or why. "Matsuri, do not do this to yourself; you do not have to relive something so painful…"

"But you don't understand, Kazekage-sama; when you died, so did I!"

A gasp sounded from the redhead and he just stared at her, wide-eyed.

"I felt so _empty. Helpless. Alone! I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think or feel!"_ She turned her back to him as the overwhelming pain enveloped her and she struggled to bring herself under control; Temari would be ashamed of her weakness.

"I was _so relieved_ when they brought you back but I couldn't—there was still a part of me that felt dead and empty. And then after that? Everything just changed. I rarely saw you and even when I did it was like…l-like I was suddenly invisible! Like I didn't even exist in your world and that was almost worse for me to bear!"

It was then that she turned to look at him over her shoulder, tears filling her eyes. "I don't understand how you can treat me as if I'm invisible to you—but then now, it's as if I'm precious to you? It makes no sense to me at all."

That one word rang deafening in Gaara's ears.

 _Precious._

 _Precious_

 _PRECIOUS!_

Yes. It was something Naruto had said to him on the first day they had ever met—the first battle they'd fought. _"I will do whatever it takes to protect the people who are precious to me! And for that, I will always fight and win, no matter what for that is my nindo, my ninja way!"_

 _Precious people._ The concept had been perfectly ludicrous to Gaara's narrow thinking but now, it was something he held very close to his heart because in his time as Kazekage, Gaara had begun to recognize the people in his own life who were close to him—those whom he saw as…precious. His siblings. The people of Suna, Naruto and his friends…

 _This woman…_

It was then that something clicked into place in his head and for the first time, Gaara's countenance alighted with the most genuine of smiles that radiated from his mouth to his eyes.

The woman before him was rendered breathless could only gape at him wide-eyed and in utter shock.

"Because, Matsuri, you _are_ precious to me; how could you possibly question that?" His smile was soft and compassionate as he reached his hand towards the trembling creature and drew her into his arms.

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 _ **Okay, I know this one's a bit long but I wanted to really establish this moment between them because it's crucial to the rest of my plot, considering these two have quite a bit of history and unspoken chemistry between them. Once again, Please review!**_


	6. Embrace

_I personally LOVE this one, it's so adorable and sweet! Hope those of you who are following this little fic, are enjoying it so far; there will be more, I promise. However, I'm not sure how far this is going to go so as far as that goes, I make no promises. Review, Review, Review!_

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The embrace was somewhat awkward, yet at the same time, it felt perfectly natural to have her pressed against his chest with her head tucked neatly under his chin.

Matsuri was in a state of shock.

Gaara was embracing her.

Sabaku no Gaara.

The former Sand Spirit Jinchurriki.

The Kazekage of Suna was holding her in his arms not because she was ill or injured or out of any other necessity; he was holding because for some inexplicable reason, he _wanted to._

"G-Gaara-s-sama?" She squeaked.

The Kazekage's shoulders relaxed and he let out a soft breath. "At last, you've dispensed with those ridiculous titles; you should know I've always detested such formalities, Matsuri; I know I've told you this before."

The girl couldn't hold back a tiny knowing smile. "Y-Yes. You have." Her hands rested against his chest and she pushed back just enough to look up at him.

He still had that look and it caused her cheeks to burn furiously, not to mention other areas of her body.

"W-well I—gods, I'm so _late!"_

"Mm. You were meeting Temari this morning for training."

Black eyes turned on him. "How did you know?"

"Temari and I had lunch yesterday; she was filling me in on all of your progress over the last ten months."

"O-oh."

"You are embarrassed?" He inquired carefully.

"Not _exactly._ It's just that—well Temari may have taken over my training but…she's my best friend; you are my sensei, even though we haven't trained in quite some time, I—"

"I may have taken you as my student but your determination is what got you this far, Matsuri."

She couldn't wrap her head around his uncharacteristic compliment. "I—T-thank you."

She glanced up at him and then at the clock on the wall. "I should really get going, I—I still have to um—c-change." With that, she backed into her room after a promise from Gaara that he would go on ahead and alert Temari that she was on her way. She thanked him then hurried to dress as she heard the redhead's steps fading away as the front door closed.

She breathed a sigh of relief; a moment longer in the same room with that confusing, insufferably alluring man, and she would have gone insane!

Just what in the hell was up with that intense look in his eyes anyway?

# # # #

With Zanbato strapped to her back, Matsuri made her way to the designated training grounds. She grimaced when she thought of how infuriated Temari would be but her thoughts came to a halt and she stopped short when she caught sight of a tall redhead standing next to a smirking green-eyed blonde.

Her steps slowed—surely Gaara-sama hadn't any intentions of staying, did he?

But as she neared them, a discreet wink from her best friend confirmed her fears and she paled.

It was bad enough having crashed into her sensei in the state of undress she'd been that morning and weeping in front of him had been mercilessly shameful!

But this?! Somehow managed to exceed all else in the realm of infinitely worse.

She was confident in her new skills but Temari had instilled this in her in the beginning; there had been no previous awkwardness or childish admiration that gave her the incurable need to impress Temari.

With Gaara? The circumstances were completely different; he'd been her sensei; the man who had taught her to face her fear of weapons and the man who had inspired her to become something greater than herself.

Now after ten months of separation, said man was here to witness her skills for the first time in nearly a year and gods only knew what was going through his head at that exact moment as he watched her approach.

Matsuri felt sick to her stomach.

For himself, Gaara was completely awestruck at the transformation of the woman approaching them.

Her hair was woven into a thick braid that hung over one shoulder, reaching past her breast.

Her attire consisted of a sleeveless earth-toned Chinese-style dress that reached to mid-thigh and black boy shorts that afforded her a bit of modesty. The ensemble was completed with netted, fingerless gloves that reached past her elbows and dark brown leather thigh-highs paired with black ninja boots.

There was a hint of turquoise trim around the edging of her dress that gave it subtle color, as well as complimenting the Sand Kunoichi's olive complexion.

In a word, the brunette was _striking_ and Gaara couldn't help but stare, barely managing to keep his expression void of any particular emotion.

But Temari had noticed; she'd heard the subtle hitch in her brother's breath and detected the subtle skittering of his heartbeat when he'd caught sight of Matsuri and the blonde Kunoichi couldn't help the smug smirk that spread across her lips.

"Well! It's about damn time you got here, gods woman do you think I have time to waste?!" Her tone was harsh but there was a subtle sparkle in her eyes as Matsuri reached them, an apologetic frown marring her exotic features.

"I'm so sorry, Temari-sama but I had—"

The older woman waved her hand dismissively. "Eh, enough with the excuses; Gaara already told me he'd caught you at a bad time and that you two got to talking."

Matsuri bit her lip, casting a furtive glance to her former sensei—the man said nothing but his eyes seemed to burn into hers and she blushed furiously, looking away.

"Now. Let's warm up and then why don't we show our _dear Kazekage-sama_ what you've got!"

Temari made an exaggerated sweeping gesture in Gaara's direction, giggling to herself when the redhead rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Honestly, Temari, you are—ridiculously dramatic." The man grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest but his sister was no fool; she knew he was looking forward to this just as much if not more so, than her.

Temari snickered, then turned her attention to her Protégé. "Alright, Matsuri." Assuming a battle stance, the blonde caught the glint of excitement in the younger woman's eyes and she smirked. "Give me all you've got."


	7. Her Answer

_I'm so sorry guys! This is so late but we've been in the process of moving so life's been really hectic! I promise I'll be doing my best to update more regularly—anyways, thank you guys so much for following this story; it hasn't been too popular but your reviews have been so worth continuing on and I plan to go as long as I can. Enjoy and leave Reviews and any requests you may have!_

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Gaara watched the entire sparring match in amazement, though none could tell as he kept his countenance schooled in an impassive mask.

To say that he was 'impressed' would be a gross understatement; so far, Matsuri had expertly blocked every single one of Temari's long range attacks and this was no easy feat.

Everyone knew Temari's wind attacks were nearly unbeatable unless you were a cunning strategist like Shikamaru or possessed an impenetrable defense like Gaara. But Matsuri wielded her Zanbato flawlessly, spinning the large weapon above her head which created enough momentum to cause Temari's wind attacks to simply bounce off—not once did the sharp wind blades even put a scratch on her.

"Are you going to attack me, Matsuri?" Temari challenged the younger woman from a distance. "Or are you simply a coward, constantly on the defensive?!"

The brunette smirked, bringing down her blade with brute force and striking the ground, causing the earth to quake and split violently.

Temari dodged the flying boulders and debris hurled into the air, landing several meters away from her opponent with her green eyes glimmering with a grin.

"Great Sickle Weasel Technique!" The blonde cried, sending an enormous gust of cutting wind towards the other woman, with a grand sweep of her Tessen.

Gaara watched the precise attack with building interest; Temari's Sickle technique was flawless and there wasn't much an opponent could do except pray to gods, they could somehow outrun the whirlwind.

The redhead turned penetrating eyes towards the brunette and let out a gasp—teal eyes widening—to find the young woman standing her ground and facing Temari's wind attack head on.

 _Is she…out of her mind?!_ He wondered. But then in the next moment, something incredible happened.

Instead of turning and retreating, Matsuri took off and headed straight towards the whirlwind, spinning and manipulating her large sword in a figure eight formation, around her body.

Gaara sensed a huge increase in Matsuri's chakra flow and watched in fascination as she leapt into the air with her body rotating at an impressive rate. Simultaneously, she manipulated the chakra into her spinning blade which caused an impenetrable dome to form around her like a continuously rotating shield.

It was amazing to watch and Gaara's jade eyes widened as he witnessed Matsuri's spinning chakra-infused shield not deflect but absorb Temari's Sickle wind technique, rendering the attack completely neutralized.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding—Matsuri's technique was reminiscent of Neji Hyuga's Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven—a formidable defense indeed.

He was ripped from his thoughts when at the last second, Matsuri came out of her rotation, blade held high above her head and aiming straight for Temari.

The blonde sensed her attack from above and blocked with her Tessen. However, she was _not_ expecting Matsuri's s'rprise attack with her Johyo; the dart snagged the netting around Temari's ankle and with one swift pull, Temari's legs went flying out from under her and she landed with a hard thud on her back.

In the next instant, Matsuri had a knee to her chest and held the sharpened edge of Zanbato to the wind user's neck.

Gaara was dumb-struck.

That was it.

The match was over.

And _Matsuri_ was the indisputable victor.

Temari's harsh scowl melted into a grin and her green eyes shone with pride as she gazed up at her student and best friend.

"Well done…Matsuri." The Suna princess gasped for air as the other woman stood to her feet and offered her a hand up.

Temari smirked as she snapped her iron fan closed and proceeded to dust herself off a bit. Her hair was a little disheveled but it didn't bother her much at all; ranking as the top kunoichi of the Hidden Sand had always been her greatest pride.

"Wow. Remind me never to piss _you_ off, Matsuri-san."

The two women and Kazekage turned to see the dark-eyed Nara approaching, hands shoved in his pockets and a modest—if not apprehensive—smirk on his face.

Matsuri blushed furiously but smiled in thanks. "Well I've learned from the best; Gaara-sama is my sensei and Temari has also taught me a great deal. I will say though—that was the first time I've ever beaten Temari-sama…and probably the _last_ time." She let out a nervous chuckle as Temari came up and threw an arm around her shoulders.

"You better believe it! There's no way in hell I'm ever letting you beat my ass like that again, missie."

"'let' her?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes at his fiancé but when he caught her pointed yet playful glare, he couldn't suppress a smile of his own.

This woman was so troublesome but he loved her more than life itself.

"Well I hate to break up this _very impressive_ display of female prowess but I have to whisk this lady away for her meeting with the Wedding planner—aka my obnoxious teammate who's been dying to get ahold of her so they can discuss flower arrangements, music and all that troublesome shit."

Temari elbowed him in the side giving him a pointed glare. "Hey. Ino's designer sense is incredible, honestly we wouldn't be having a wedding without her so I suggest you shut the hell up before a kick your ass from here into next month, Mister!"

Gaara found himself cringing at his sister's elevated tone of voice but a ghost of a smile touched his lips as he observed the now-bickering couple heading back into town; those two were always at each other's throats and yet…they seemed so perfectly matched.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, the redhead turned back towards the training ground where Matsuri was presently doing a bit of a cool down stretch.

His eyes zoned in on her back as she bent down with legs straight, touching her palms flat to the ground.

Something about the way her top rode up higher on her thighs, had the jade-eyed man staring and when she straightened only to stretch her arms high above her head, his eyes were once again drawn to the hem of her short dress as it rode up even higher—nearly exposing the place where leg joined with backside.

Gaara tore his eyes away, feeling incredibly overheated as he took a few purposeful strides away in an attempt to calm his raging heartbeat.

Silence reigned for a time and eventually, the man felt level-headed enough to return his gaze to the young woman.

Huge mistake.

Jade eyes nearly shot from their sockets at the sight of the woman poised on the ground in perfect Japanese split with her upper body bent backwards until the tip of her braid brushed against her thigh.

It was then that Matsuri's black eyes suddenly collided with an upside down vision of the redheaded man standing ten feet from her, his expressionless mask giving away nothing of the inner turmoil he was experiencing.

Matsuri snapped up, pulled her legs together and sprung up to her feet, an incredible sense of embarrassment washing over her as she realized that the man had most likely witnessed every aspect of her stretching routine.

…God only knows what— _views—_ his calculating eyes had been exposed to and just the mere thought of it had the brunette's cheeks reddening in shame.

"Ahh…G-Gaara-sama, I—forgive me, I didn't know you were still here."

The man blinked a few times, trying to rid his mind's eye of the risqué images of his former student, and cleared his throat. "No need to apologize, Matsuri; I hope I haven't intruded."

Something about the way his jade eyes flickered for split second, had Matsuri smiling softly and she felt instantly at ease. "Not at all, Gaara-sama—I'm finished anyway." With that, she slid the blade guard onto Zanbato and strapped it to her back.

"That is quite the sword—but you wield it well."

"Thank you." With that, the two slowly made their way towards town, side-by-side, enjoying the companionable silence that settled between them.

As they walked through the bustling streets, there were several citizens who called out to Matsuri, smiling and waving as they exchanged pleasantries with her.

Gaara acknowledged each one with a polite nod but the Kazekage was more interested in quietly observing Matsuri in her various interactions with the people of the Hidden Leaf.

Aside from her physical appearance, he found she really hadn't changed; she was still just as animated and vibrant—greeting each person with a radiant smile and/or a hearty handshake and the way her black eyes lit up when some of the young children swarmed her, bombarding her with question after question, caught him off guard and he stood still for a moment, watching intently.

Matsuri had an incredible gift with children. It was obvious how much the children loved her, their little faces were alight with smiles as she crouched down to their level and several of the little boys blushed furiously when she'd pat their little heads or ruffle their hair and the girls giggled and squealed with delight when she accepted their little gifts of flowers and cute little drawings.

At length, their parents called them away and the group of youngsters scurried off, waving and calling goodbye to the Suna kunoichi over their shoulders.

Matsuri waved back—her beaming smile never fading as she stood up and rejoined Gaara at his side.

The two resumed their stroll and at length, Gaara broke the silence. "You have an incredible effect on them; the villagers, their children…they all…love you."

She turned startled eyes on him, surprised to find him staring straight at her with the hint of a smile dancing in his jade eyes.

A light shade of pink stained her cheeks as her black eyes lowered to the ground.

She smiled.

"They are very special people; I have to admit, Konoha has felt like a second home to me and it goes far beyond the fact that they are our closest allies."

"Yes, I can see that. This place has become…special to you, yes?"

The young woman nodded, clasping her hands behind her back as she looked ahead of them with a soft smile.

"Hmm, yes. It is." Her black eyes dimmed just for a moment as she raised a sunny daisy to her nose and inhaled it subtly sweet scent.

"But…it will always be _second_ in my heart, to Suna."

Something warm stirred within Gaara when she said this and he wondered what it was about Matsuri that suddenly had him feeling so many nameless emotions! Ever since their emotional confrontation that morning, he'd been feeling so many things—confusion, elation, and a few others that he just simply had no idea how to explain.

"Kazekage-sama?"

The redhead's eyes snapped to the woman at his side. "I was just…thinking."

She nodded in understanding then faced forward again.

A question burned at the tip of his tongue and as they passed by a booth laden with savory samples of Konoha delicacies, he turned to her. "Why did you leave?"

It was a straight forward question and his gaze was unblinking as he waited for her answer.

Matsuri however, was not prepared for it and for a few seconds, panic set in.

 _What do I tell him?! If I tell him the truth, he'll think I'm such a fool! But I—I can't lie to Gaara…he…he knows me too well. Besides that, he's far too perceptive; he knows when someone is lying to him._

The brunette agonized, delaying the inevitable as she pretended to be engrossed in perusing the food samples and chatting a bit with the vendor.

But eventually, she could sense Gaara's impatience and she slowly moved on from the booth, head bowed in silence and only halting long enough to wait for him.

He fell in step with her, still intent on receiving an answer to his question but growing increasingly impatient when he was met with nothing but silence.

"Matsuri?"

Nothing.

They were coming to the end of the street and catching sight of the bridge overlooking the river, Gaara took Matsuri firmly by the arm and steered her in that direction.

Neither spoke a word; the woman sensed her companion's impatience and the man was hard pressed to conceal his frustration at being ignored.

They reached the bridge and at last, Gaara released her arm and turned to face her. "Matsuri, are you ignoring my question?"

"N-No, Kazekage-sama I'm—"

The redhead scowled. "I've told you _not_ to call me that."

She bit her lip. "I—Gaara-sama I heard your question."

He crossed his arms over his chest, standing to his full height and stared straight at her.

"Very well, I'm listening."

Her black eyes raised to his then. "I'm sorry…but I can't give you an answer."

His arms fell slack to his sides…and he simply stared at her his emotions flashing in his eyes clearly, for the first time.

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	8. His Kiss

Gaara stared at her blankly but his eyes were on fire and Matsuri resisted the urge to shiver.

"Do you not have an answer? Or are you _refusing_ to give one?"

She bit her lip, fingers wringing nervously in front of her. "I'm refusing."

The corner of his eye twitched. "Why?"

She straightened her shoulders and forced herself to look him in the eye. "Because I know that the answer I have isn't something you would want…or understand, and I cannot lie to you. Therefore my only option is to refuse to answer."

He growled inwardly; this girl was a clever one; either that or she'd been hanging around the Nara prodigy far too much.

"I don't accept your explanation, Matsuri—or rather the lack thereof."

Matsuri's mouth curved into a frown; she knew he was the Kazekage but his abrasive attitude felt disrespectful. "Well I'm sorry but frankly, you have _no choice_ but to 'accept it' _Kazekage-sama."_ She knew she was antagonizing him now but he was being arrogant and she hated it.

She attempted to brush past him but he grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Do not walk away from me, Matsuri…please."

"Please. Please, Kazekage-sama, let me go." Her voice was strained and her expression twisted into a grimace of emotional pain.

The pleading tone in her voice caused Gaara's chest to tighten painfully and hardened expression in his jade eyes softened.

Matsuri refused to look at him and still held back, waiting for him to release her but after a full five minutes passed, his grip on her had not lessened and the Sand kunoichi dissolved into tears.

Completely thrown by her reaction, Gaara stiffened, inwardly in a panic as to what he should do.

This was the second time he'd made her cry and even though the redhead was completely lost on the reason why, he still felt an intense guilt wash over him as he looked down at her helplessly.

"P-Please…let me go, K-Kazekage-sama; don—don't you see? Your kindness, I can't bear it—your warmth is t-t-too m-much, I c-can't I just c-can't!" Strangled sobs wracked through her body and she barely managed to lift her head to look up into his eyes, begging him to leave her in her misery.

Something about the way she looked as she cried, struck the young Kazekage and for a moment, his entire being froze and he couldn't breathe.

Her black eyes…like dark coal warmed by a blazing fire…were heavy with tears.

Her slender shoulders shook uncontrollably with the force of her sobs…

…and her lips…her cupid bow-shaped lips trembled as she fought to subdue the torrent of weeping, to no avail.

For some unfathomable reason, Gaara's eyes were drawn irresistibly to her quivering mouth and something heated and fierce stirred deep within him, clawing its way to the surface.

Her mouth…

He wanted to taste it.

But…what sense did that even make? He couldn't comprehend or process the thought to its fullest, yet deep down he knew it was desire—poignant and irrefutable.

His jade eyes phased back into focus and he looked at her again, only this time the intense heated feeling stayed with him…and it burned hotter.

Suddenly, all thought ceased within the mind of the Kazekage and pure instinct kicked in.

Taking a firmer hold of her wrist, he pulled her in closer and uttered her name in a voice that was low, husky and commanding. "Matsuri, look at me."

Black eyes snapped up to jade just seconds before his mouth crashed onto hers.

Tears instantly forgotten, Matsuri's eyes widened in shock as a sliver of fear mixed with amazement sliced through her body.

His kiss was awkward but forceful and the surprised kunoichi couldn't move a single millimeter or even breathe with the force of his touch.

His hand held fast to her wrist while his other gripped the bridge railing at her back and for a moment, Gaara felt his entire body go numb.

Seconds ticked by in the blink of an eye and at last, the redhead's bruising kiss softened until his eyes fluttered open—jade clashing with startled black—as he slowly and hesitantly pulled away.

But his face was still just bare inches from hers—the tips of their noses almost brushing—and his eyes were wide open with curiosity and amazement as he gazed straight into hers.

Matsuri was in utter shock.

"What was…?"

His breath ghosted across her cheek and her lips instinctively parted in response as she took in a breath.

"You kissed me…." Technically it was in answer to his question though Matsuri hadn't processed it as an actual response at all—she was simply too stunned to not speak her thoughts aloud.

He was silent but his eyes never left hers as he processed her words.

That was a _kiss?_

He'd witnessed the gesture before and though he'd been initially curious, he hadn't thought much of it at the time; the first time he'd seen Naruto kiss Hinata, the Kazekage had nearly asked his blonde friend for an explanation but in the end, he'd thought better of it. Knowing Naruto, he would doubtlessly find a way to tease Gaara for it, unmercifully and the Kazekage had no taste for being made a mockery.

"W-why did you…?"

"I just—" But he couldn't formulate an answer, only one thought burned in the front of his mind as he looked back at her:

He wanted to kiss her again.

Seeing something almost primal flicker in his eyes, Matsuri pressed her lips together and took a step back; she didn't know why but she was scared—she knew Gaara would die before hurting her, it wasn't that but whatever it was that he was feeling right now, she didn't trust it because she knew he had _no_ idea what it was.

Seeing her retreating from him snapped the Kazekage from his dazed stupor and once again, instinct took over as he reached out and grabbed her hand.

"G-Gaara-sama, don't…you d-don't understand what you're—"

"I kissed you, Matsuri."

She stared at him, her cheeks flaming red; it sounded so surreal when he said it out loud. "I—I k-know."

Something about her expression made him smirk and surprisingly, the still foreign expression felt natural. "I liked how it felt."

She baulked then, feeling the heat burning her cheeks as she tore her eyes away from his; he was so…direct!

But then, this was Gaara; he was _always_ direct.

Chancing a glance at him, she wished she hadn't when she saw the blatant fire in his eyes as he took a step towards her, simultaneously lacing his fingers with hers as he did so.

Maybe a more direct approach would work. "K-Kazekage-sama, please, I—"

"You _know_ I _hate_ it when you call me that." He stated flatly as he pulled her roughly to him, his eyes pinning her with an intense gaze.

Her hands landed on his chest and she bit back an 'eep' as she stared helplessly at his collarbone.

"I—thought perhaps it would get your a-attention."

He couldn't help but smirk in amusement and a deep rumbling in his chest nearly resembled a laugh as he brought his hand up to cradle the side of her neck. "You think you have to infuriate me to get my attention? You amuse me, Matsuri."

When she felt the strong softness of his palm against her neck, she bit her lip and reflexively leaned into his touch—but only for a moment.

In the next second, she nearly flinched and once again turned tear-filled eyes to him. "W-why—why are you doing this? You d-don't even understand what you're—"

"I told you." He cut her off. "I _kissed you._ And I liked how it felt."

The traitorous blush once again flooded her cheeks but she feebly shook her head in denial.

"You don't even know what a kiss means."

He was bowing his head, his lips drawing ever closer to hers. "Then let me discover—what it means." He nearly whispered as he took one look at her lips then slowly glanced up at her eyes.

She was still shaking her head and she breathed a weak "No."

But the man's eyes were ablaze again and her weakened plea fell on deaf ears as he glued his eyes to her mouth and whispered huskily, "Too…late." Pale, strong hands cradled the sides of her face and his mouth once again devoured hers with a vengeance.

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 _Ahhhhhhh! Omg I loved loved loved this one! I really hope you guys are pleased with this; I know that Gaara may seem OOC to some of you and rather aggressive but think about it; the guy's had little to NO experience in the area of emotions and feelings, yet he just experienced his very first kiss, AH! Hello?! I think our redheaded Kazekage would be flippin' out a bit, ya know? Hence why he's being a bit aggressive and wanting to kiss her again. Plus, I love how direct he is, don't you? Gaara is the best when it comes to that and personally I love a man who knows what he wants and just comes out and says it! Anywho hope you'll Review and please stay tuned for more chapters! Again, so sorry this is late!_


	9. Dreams

Matsuri's eyes flew open and she flashed up in bed. That had been the third night that she'd dreamed of the redheaded Kazekage; ever since their kiss, he'd plagued her with sleepless nights, feverish dreams and every waking moment, her head had been consumed with thoughts of him.

She hadn't seen much of her Kazekage in the last three days which had been both a blessing and a curse; his abrasive kiss had left her so confused and a part of her was terrified of him—yet there was also a part of her that longed to see him. To be near him again and feel that same overwhelming intensity that had radiated from him when he'd embraced her so fiercely.

Combing a hand through her unruly wavy locks, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood. Clad in nothing but her nude lace bra and panties, she shuffled sleepily to the bathroom, stripped and climbed into the shower.

The hot water soothed her aching muscles and for a moment, she leaned her back against the tiled walls and closed her eyes.

She could still feel _him; his hand wrapped around her wrist as he pulled her against him._

 _The smell of his skin as he towered over her, leaning in closer—eyes burning with fire._

 _His mouth on hers; awkward and clumsy but persistent and forceful all the same…how his other hand slid up her arm and rested against the side of her neck, his fingers stroking her silken flesh…_

The sandnin's eyes snapped open and she exhaled shakily; daydreaming about steamy moments between her and her Kazekage was NOT the way to spend her time in the shower. She lathered quickly, shampooed her hair and rinsed off in a hurry. The shower turned off and she stepped out and grabbed a white towel to wrap around herself; she had a lunch meeting with Temari, Hinata and Ino at noon and she needed to be ready.

# # # #

Yamanaka Ino popped another fresh strawberry into her mouth, eyeing the other blonde woman sitting beside her, flipping through a bridal magazine. "Do you really think there's something going on between those two?"

The green-eyed beauty smirked, snapping the magazine cover shut and laying it aside. "Yes. You may think it sounds absurd but believe me, I know those two better than anyone—Matsuri for sure, has it bad and always has since the day she met him."

Well _that_ makes a lot more sense than _him…_ I mean, no offense but your brother isn't exactly the _intuned, emotionally expressive type._

Temari laughed through her nose, nodding her head. " _Trust me."_ She took a sip of her whiskey-laced red wine. "I know it."

"So…what makes you think he feels something for her, then?"

Temari smirked knowingly. "You should've seen him the first day he was here and he saw her. I mean from all appearances, he looked perfectly calm and unfazed; impassive mask and all…but his eyes? Ohhh, you should've seen it, I could hardly keep myself from laughing at him; I mean the guy's such a stiff but inside, he was turning to fucking jelly just at the sight of her!"

Ino shook her head at her companion's devious cackle. "Temari-chan, you are a cruel woman, ha! I almost pity Shikamaru for having to put up with you for the rest of his life…. _almost."_

The two women giggled hysterically to themselves, enjoying their long-standing private joke.

"Ahh well, it's Matsuri I'm worried about in all honesty." The Suna princess sobered then, setting down her glass. "Gaara's already shaken from seeing her again and with the way he tends to "handle" his emotions, I—I'm worried he's gonna come off—a little— _intense."_ The blonde Suna kunoichi's brows furrowed in concentrated concern.

Ino was about to respond when her eyes caught sight of Matsuri coming towards them and her jaw dropped.

"Well _damn,_ if I had _that_ coming at me every day then hell, I think _I'd_ be intense too!"

Temari's eyes followed the direction of Ino's stare to find Matsuri coming towards them. The brunette was clad in a deep burgundy toned skirt that flowed to her ankles with a slit that reached mid-thigh. The skirt was high-waisted and she'd paired it with a cream long-sleeved crop top with broad scooped neckline that showed off her collarbone and shoulders. A bit of her toned stomach was bared as a result of the cropped hem but it wasn't shockingly exposing and only hinted to the smooth sun-kissed flesh beneath.

Her earth-toned gladiators peaked out from the hem of her skirt every now and then as she walked and soon, she reached the two women and gave a sweet smile. "Gomen, am I late?"

"Not at all, Matsuri but—good gods, woman! You're making me and Ino look bad!"

Her eyes running over the younger woman's attire caused the brunette to blush furiously. "O-Oh I'm—is it too much? I wasn't sure but I hadn't had a chance to wear it so—"

Ino burst out laughing then. "Oh Matsuri-chan you are so precious! So easy to tease." She patted the space on the other side of her and the somewhat flustered San kunoichi slid into the seat with Temari settling on the other side of Ino, her lips pulled into a devious grin.

"I think you've hit that, right on the mark, Ino." Temari commented and both women winked at each other, amused at the lost expression of the young woman seated between them.

As for Matsuri she glanced bewilderedly between the pair and huffed out a sigh. "Etto...etto…you two aren't being fair at all!" She whined and she slumped in her seat, dreading the long day ahead; what had she gotten herself into?


	10. Political Struggle

The three women were half-way through lunch and were now browsing through a thoroughly marked up and well-worn wedding dress magazine. Ino squealed, stopped at a page with a tulle ball gown design that had extensive beading on the bodice. "This is exquisite! Gods, that sweetheart neckline and the beaded detailing is _divine!"_

Temari wrinkled her nose in distaste; ball gown wasn't at all her style, it was far too—

"Hm. seems a bit garish for your taste." Uttered a deep male voice from over her shoulder.

The women jumped and whirled around to find Gaara standing at Temari's back with his hand casually clasped behind his back and a bored, disinterested expression.

"G-Garra!" Temari exclaimed, slamming the catalogue shut and turned to face her brother.

"Excuse me, am I interrupting?"

"W-Well I wasn't e-expecting you just now."

"Ah, my apologies, Temari however I'm afraid I have need of you at this moment."

"Actually, we _both do."_ Shikamaru had joined them just then but the deep scowl on his face unnerved Temari and she stood hesitantly to her feet. "I know that look, Nara—what's going on?"

Gaara answered for him. "As you know, I've spent the last three days in conference with the Konoha council; more specifically with the members who have been—less than cooperative in regards to yours and Shikamaru's engagement. I've spoken on your behalf and though the members appeared—moved—they have requested the presence of you and Shikamaru at the meeting this evening."

"What the hell for?!" Shikamaru hated this; he could already see his fiancé stressing out and the last thing she needed was this added aggravation—damn the fucking council, they were making his life more troublesome than it was worth and if that wasn't bad enough, they were screwing with his future wife and that just pissed him the hell off.

"They want us to 'plead our case' in other words…" Shikamaru muttered, running a hand down the front of his face and then dropping it to his side. I was there; Gaara did one hell of a job, I know he's convinced them but for some damn reason they want to put _you_ through the ringer…me too."

"What the hell?! Why the fuck are they giving us all this bullshit, Nara, huh?! What, am I not good enough for them? For this village—for you?!" The blonde was fuming now and instinctively, she stormed off a bit before Shikamaru caught up to her and grabbed her hand.

"Hey, hey don't even think things like that, Woman, I won't allow it."

Temari took a deep calming breath; she wanted to destroy something—but instead she let Shikamaru take her hand and run his free hand up and down her arm in a soothing manner. "Look, I know, I know—it's pissing me off, believe me, I want heads." His voice held a venomous edge and it brought a small smile to his fiance's faces because she knew he was angry for her.

"They're fucking around because they wanna test your loyalty to the village; they're still hung up on the fucking past and with their heads so far up their asses, they have nothing better to do then to drag us through a shit load of bull in their spare time."

"So. They don't trust me. And they're suspicious that I'm using you."

Her direct, abrasive tone caused the Nara to wince and he brushed the backs of his fingers along her jawline, gazing deeply into her eyes.

"To _hell_ with what the bastards think they know; I don't care. I know you and that's good enough for me, it always will be." With that her captured her lips in a deep, lingering kiss before pulling back to look into her eyes.

"Let's do this; we'll answer their questions and then we can get the hell out of there and never look back. We do this and I _promise you,_ I won't ever let them put you through this again; you can have all the time you want to just plan our wedding and _no one_ will get in your way again. I'll make sure of it."

She couldn't hold back a beaming smile as she pressed a hand to his cheek, looking up at him. "Damn you; you know I just fucking fell in love with you all over again, right?"

An arrogant smirk spread across his features and his dark, slanted eyes ignited. "Yeah, yeah, I know." His lips brushed the tip of her nose and he grinned when she rolled her eyes, still grinning like an idiot.

Gaara had observed the entire exchange in concealed fascination but he held his composure, his features impassive as he cleared his throat. "They're doubtlessly waiting for you; they expect you to defend your intentions towards one another—I suggest you both prepare but don't allow them to back you into a corner; Shikamaru is right; you have both known each other for years and you know what you feel—trust it."

"Aww Gaara, I had no idea you had such a sensitive side!" Temari gushed dramatically and she leaned over to plant a kiss on her brother's cheek, loving how flustered he got during her rare displays of affection.

Shikamaru smirked, dark eyes alight with thinly veiled amusement as the tell-tale pink hue stained Gaara's pale cheeks and he turned his face away in embarrassment.

"Alright." The blonde laced her fingers with Shikamaru's and set her jaw firm, a glimmer of determination shone in her green eyes. "Let's get this done."

Matsuri beamed with pride at the determination of her friends. "Good luck you two; break necks, Temari-sama; Shikamaru-san? Outwit their asses." She gave the Nara prodigy a high-five and turned to link arms with Ino who had also wished the couple luck.

"Damn straight!" Temari affirmed and she turned and strode purposefully towards the Hokage with her confident fiancé at her side.

"Oi, Gaara!" She called over her shoulder and when the redhead's expressionless eyes met hers, she grinned and cocked an eyebrow, nodding in the direction where Matsuri had gone.

He caught the unspoken question in her eyes and the Kazekage scowled at her to which she simply winked and blew him a kiss before turning away once more.

The Kazekage found himself standing alone in the street and after a few long moments of deliberation, his jade eyes snapped in the direction of Yamanaka's flower shop; the redhead cursed under his breath but at the same time, a rare smile curved the corners of his lips upwards and he stalked away, his steps deliberate and his jade eyes burning with determination.

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 _This one was just a bit of fluffy fun with the girls that I wanted to experiment with; after all, Temari's planning her wedding and she deserves some script time and love! I've always adored the ShikaTem pairing but I don't think I could ever write a fic about them. Anywho, Review Review!_


	11. Happy Birthday, Sensei

_A/N: Just a quick note; I know Gaara's birthday is January 19_ _th_ _but for the sake of this particular plot, I'm moving it to May 19_ _th_ _; you'll see why but just wanted to let you guys know so I don't get flamed for it, Lol! Review, Review, Review!_

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He had just rounded a corner in the shop district when he caught sight of the brightly colored awning that hung above the Yamanaka clan's flower shop across the street. He was about to cross when suddenly the front door opened and out stepped Matsuri with a single wrapped red rose in hand as she smiled and waved over her shoulder.

She hadn't seen Gaara yet and the Kazekage pulled back into the shadows and observed the woman closely. She had paused momentarily to pull out a small white envelope from her pocket and pulling out a blank card, she pressed it against the wall of the building as she hurriedly scribbled something.

Once done, the small card was slipped back in the envelope which disappeared into the folds of delicate tissue paper surrounding the rose and Matsuri continued down the mildly bustling street.

Gaara followed at a distance, curiosity getting the better of the young Kazekage as the dark-eyed woman made a few turns down certain side streets until she came to the Nara district. Gaara paused down the street from her and his invisible brows furrowed when she came to a stop in front of Shikamaru's house.

She knocked and his mother answered, smiling wildly upon seeing the younger woman, and ushered her in.

Gaara's curiosity grew and he wondered if it was simple coincidence that Matsuri was visiting the exact place where he and Kankuro were currently staying; could she be there for Kankuro?

Something unpleasant settled in the pit of his stomach and the redheaded Kazekage clenched his fists as he waited anxiously for her to reappear.

At last he spotted her and focusing his senses, he tuned into the verbal exchange between Matsuri and the Nara Matriarch.

"Are you sure you won't stay for a bit, Matsuri-san? I could make up a bit of tea and we could talk more!"

Matsuri touched the older woman's arm and smiled. "I will be sure to come by tomorrow, Yoshino-san I promise; unfortunately I have several more errands I need to run for Temari-sama since she and Shikamaru-san have been called away to the council."

The older woman's countenance darkened. "Yes, I heard about it. Honestly, it makes my blood boil; those idiotic crones should know better than to pull a stunt like this—my son is honorable and Temari-san is and impeccable woman!"

Matsuri nodded in agreement. "I know; she was so furious when Kazekage-sama and Shikamaru-san came with the news—I felt terrible for them both."

"Well I'm certainly thankful that the Kazekage is here and offering his support; he is quite an impressive young man I must say! And Shikamaru speaks very highly of him—which he doesn't do with too many people—so I know he must be a special person to him."

Matsuri's cheeks flushed a light pink. "Yes, he most certainly is."

Yoshino's brow arched and she smiled knowingly at the young woman. "…and perhaps Shikamaru's not the only one who views the Kazekage as special?"

Matsuri's head snapped up and her eyes widened in surprise.

"That rose and card you dropped off just now…I believe it was his name on the card, right?"

Matsuri bit her lip, staring at the ground. "Y-Yes. I mean—well today's his birthday s-so I thought—"

Gaara's eyes widened in surprise— _she knew his birthday?_

"Oh! That is just the sweetest!" Yoshino exclaimed, clasping her hands together and beaming brightly.

"Well I wish we had known! We would've planned something, oh my, I'm embarrassed, I should've asked Shikamaru—"

"There's really no need, Yoshino-san; besides…Kazekage-sama is a quiet and private man, he wouldn't want anyone making a fuss."

"Well if you insist…still. I think your gesture was very sweet, indeed."

With that, the two women ended their conversation with Matsuri again promising to return the next day for a longer visit.

Satisfied, the Nara Matriarch hugged the young woman and bid her a splendid afternoon and once again, Matsuri was off down the road with a vibrant spring in her step and a soft smile on her face.

Just as the sun was setting, Gaara returned to his room, only nodding a brief greeting to his sister, brother and future brother-in-law as he went. Once alone, he walked to his bed and found the single red rose along with the white envelope that had 'Gaara' splayed across the front in delicate cursive.

 _Gaara-sama,_

 _Roses are the only flowers I've seen in your personal garden so I know they must be special to you…_

 _I hope this rose makes you feel a little closer to home—I know you must miss it, as do I._

 _Happy Birthday, Sensei_

 _Matsuri~_

The man felt a lump of emotion coiling in his throat but he swallowed it back as he lifted the rose to his nose and inhaled…

It smelled e _xactly_ like Matsuri.


	12. This Heart Ache

Dawn was just breaking as Matsuri made her way through the streets of Konoha with a basket in hand.

Hardly anyone was up and only a few of the vendors stirred, opening their booths in preparation for the day's work ahead.

It was still a bit cool in the mornings as it was only May but Matsuri didn't mind; in spite of the ankle-length black skirt she wore with a slit reaching to her mid-thigh, the slightly cropped, long-sleeved top kept her arms perfectly warm and the light, grey cardigan she'd brought with her, gave her plenty of coverage as she strolled through the brisk morning air.

She rounded a corner, spotting the fresh produce both she'd been looking for and her steps hurried as she passed by a slightly darkened doorway draped with a red tapestry.

Little did she know that jade eyes had spotted her and the owner of them was now lurking just beyond the crimson curtain as she passed.

"Matsuri."

Her head snapped to the side at the whispered sound of her name but initially, she saw no one.

She was about to continue on her way when a hand reached out and grabbed her around the wrist.

She gasped when the hand pulled and she was forced beyond the red curtain, only to come face-to-face with black-ringed jade eyes and flaming red hair.

"K-Kazekage-sama, what on e-earth?!"

The man stared at her, almost wide-eyed at how breath-taking she looked.

He'd never seen her in civilian clothing; yesterday had been the first time and even then it had been a split-second glimpse. He had to admit, her chosen style was more than flattering for her figure; the long skirts with high slits up the leg were particularly appealing to him and he found his eyes irresistibly drawn to her hips and legs whenever she walked.

He hadn't intended on ambushing her like this. Initially, he'd spotted her and only had intentions of bidding her a casual good morning before continuing on his way…

But then he'd seen the way her eyes shone with vibrant energy as she strolled through the streets and at one point, she'd nearly crashed into an unsuspecting vendor but being the skilled kunoichi she was, her reflexes were instantaneous and she'd spun her body out of the way. Gaara's eyes had been drawn to the unconscious sway of her his as she'd moved to avoid colliding with the citizen and his fingers itched to grip her hips and hold her against him…he didn't understand why.

It was then that he'd been drawn to her and he'd followed her until this very moment when the impulse to steal her away for a moment, had become poignant.

"Matsuri." He murmured huskily, holding her by the shoulders and pressing her against the wall.

"I called you."

Her black eyes searched his face in wonderment. "I—I k-know, at least well I thought it was my imagination but then—"

Her words trailed off when she caught the flash of primal heat in his eyes and a strong sense of déjà vu enveloped her—she felt like she was back on the bridge on that day, nearly a week ago and her heart sped up and she suddenly went breathless.

"G-Gaara-sensei…"

He exhaled sharply—succumbing to the irrepressible need to kiss her.

His mouth crushed hers with a bruising force that took the Suna kunoichi's breath away and she gasped through her nose, shuddering when a deep growl rumbled in his chest.

The feel of her lips on his and the taste of her quivering mouth was overwhelmingly intoxicating and Gaara nearly died in ecstasy when the young woman gasped and her sweet breath flooded his mouth.

What in the name of all the gods was she doing to him?! It was like she was possessing every part of him and for a moment, the former Shukaku jinchurriki almost laughed at the irony.

Small hands pushed against his chest and the man was forced to break the kiss momentarily as he gazed down into her flushed face.

Her lips were red and swollen from the force of his kiss and she licked them in an attempt to soothe the light stinging. "G-Gaara-sensei, wh-what are you d-doing?!" She gasped, her chest heaving up and down as she struggled to catch her breath.

"You—haven't called me 'Sensei' since before the War."

She shook her head. "You didn't a-answer my question."

"You already know what it is that I'm doing." A light smirk touched his lips as he leaned in towards her but the brunette turned her face away and his lips landed on her cheek.

Tears sprang to her eyes and she bit hard on her lip in an attempt to keep them at bay.

Catching the tears glistening in her eyes, his jaded eyes dimmed and he took her by the shoulders. "Matsuri…what is it?"

"P-Please, I just c-can't d-do this—!" her fingers wrapped around his wrist and pushed his hand from her shoulder as she turned away from him.

A sickening feeling settled in the pit of his stomach and the Kazekage felt an all-too-familiar darkness filling his heart as he looked at the woman before him.

Fists clenched to his sides and his body shook with the effort of suppressing his emotions. "Am I—have I really become so _hateful_ to you? Do you truly despise me so much?"

Matsuri's body froze and she turned to face him, her glistening eyes wide and her lips parted in shock. "Oh Gaara…" She shook her head as more tears fell. "How could you even think—Gaara, I could _never ever despise you!"_

Gaara was dumbstruck when she spoke his name without any honorific; it sounded so natural…so beautiful tumbling from her lips like that.

"It's—what I f-feel for you is s-so completely opposite of that but you never…I was just i-invisible to you!"

His face twisted into an expression of guilt and he reached out to her. "Matsuri, _please_ forgive me; I never meant to make you feel…I just…"

His fingers brushing against hers caused her to shiver and though her head screamed at her to pull away, to run, her heart was in agony for him and therefore, her feet were nailed where she stood and she couldn't move as the redheaded Kazekage moved to stand in front of her again; one hand resting on her shoulder as the other cupped her cheek.

"No…G-Gaara-sama p-please d-d-don't…"

Her quivering plea drew him in and without even thinking, his arm curled around her slender waist and he drew her to him, trembling and shaking.

His jade eyes bored into hers and he saw something in the onyx depths; something that beckoned to him like a moth to a flame and ignoring her whispered pleas, he bowed his head and captured her lips.

Matsuri was helpless against his advances and at length, she gave up her pointless fight and clung to the front of his robes if only to keep herself from falling.

Gaara was heady with lust and desire; he couldn't get enough of her and soon, both his arms had curled around her petite frame, holding her tightly as he continued exploring her mouth. Her lips continued to quiver against his and at length, they parted as she let out a shuddering breath.

His tongue flicked out, experimentally licking along her bottom lip and the sensation sent a shock of electricity through his body, making him shiver.

Matsuri had responded in kind, inhaling sharply when once again, his tongue slid along the seam of her lips.

Gods, she never wanted him to stop and yet, she knew this was wrong—wrong on so many levels and she could feel her conflicted heart tearing in two.

With one final attempt, she drew upon the last shreds of her will and broke the kiss, breaking free from his arms. "I—can't. I'm s-sorry but I j-just…" her tearful eyes met his wide jade orbs and for a brief moment, she glanced at his lips which were red and swollen… _had she lost herself and kissed him back?_

Gaara's lips parted as he gulped in air—shaken from the way she'd feverishly kissed him back.

 _She kissed me back…and…the way it felt…_ His fingers briefly touched his, his jade eyes never breaking away from hers and he knew then that Matsuri was hiding something from him.

"I'm s-so sorry but I—I can't." Her voice quivered as more tears threatened but she fled through the curtained doorway before any tears could spill over, leaving a breathless Kazekage alone with hands trembling at his sides and an aching heart.

He clenched his fingers into a fist, then unclenched them as he stared down blankly at his hands which hadn't stopped shaking since the moment he'd kissed her. "What…is _this?"_

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 _Loved this one! I hope you guys are happy with this so far, I know I am! Once again, I know Gaara is intense but that's the point; he's dealing with A LOT of emotions that he's not at all familiar with and his navigation through them is going to be more than a bit unorthodox; before any of you draw the wrong conclusions though, NO! He's NOT going to be taking advantage of Matsuri—our Kazekage may be completely inexperienced when it comes to matters of the heart but he still knows the difference between right and wrong so no worries! As always, Review!_


	13. What Answer Can I Give?

_This one's a bit long as well but I really didn't want to break this up into separate chapters, on account of the extensive dialogue between Matsuri and Temari. Hopefully you all will enjoy!_

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It was now a month before the wedding which meant weekly meetings for Temari and her bridesmaids, along with Ino as the wedding planner.

There wasn't much time for leisure activities now—Temari had consistent dress fittings and as the Maid of Honor, Matsuri was running errands almost every day, checking to make sure everything was in order.

As the second to last month came to a close, the wedding Venue had been chosen, the catering and entertainment services finalized and the desert rose and Hibiscus flower arrangements had been delivered to Ino's.

Everything was coming together almost perfectly and with the members of Konoha council _finally_ on their side, Temari and Shikamaru moved forward with complete confidence.

Three weeks before the wedding found Temari at her second-to-last dress fitting with Matsuri dutifully accompanying her; she'd been so exhausted from all the planning that the thought of having all of her bridesmaids there putting in their two cents, wasn't appealing to the Suna princess.

Matsuri smiled warmly, knowing exactly how Temari felt; she wasn't at all used to being the center of attention, despite being the sister of the Kazekage himself.

"You know that Ino's gonna pitch a hissy fit, right?"

The blonde kunoichi rolled her eyes, grinning from her place on the raised stage in front of the large 360 degree mirror.

The fitted mermaid style dress with a sweetheart neckline and open back, flattered her voluptuous curves and Matsuri found herself more than a little envious of Temari's killer body.

"Honestly. Even if she does, I could care less I mean I've been to a million dress fittings, all of which her and Hinata have been a part of!"

"True but they weren't here when you actually picked _the dress."_ She gestured at Temari's stunning reflection, standing to her feet and coming to stand beside the bride-to-be.

"You. Are _so incredibly stunning,_ Shikamaru's not gonna know what the hell to do with himself; idiot will probably forget his vows right then."

Temari scowled. "Oh he _better not!_ Not if he knows what's good for him."

Matsuri shook her head, smirking to herself. "You know, you talk tough all the time, Temari but we both know—how insanely crazy you are about that man."

An uncharacteristic blush rose to Temari's cheeks and suddenly, she found her green eyes filling with tears.

Matsuri gazed at the older woman's reflection in surprise and then touched her shoulder. "Temari?"

"Oh hell, ignore me." She sniffled, huffing out a nervous laugh at the same time. "I just—I don't know, this last week has been…so emotional, I don't get it! I mean all it takes is for me to hear his name and I'm dissolving into a puddled mess! Nevermind about actually seeing the dumbass…"

"Wow…you must really love him."

The brightest smile lit up Temari's face as she gazed at herself in the mirror. "With all my heart and soul, Matsuri."

The brunette smiled, feeling her own eyes fill with tears and she drew the other woman into a tight embrace. "I'm _so incredibly happy_ for you, Temari; he's…Shikamaru-san is a good and brave man and—well let's just say there's _no doubt_ in anyone's mind how much he cares about you. He's—he can't keep his eyes off you for more than five minutes and the look he gives you is so obvious."

The brunette and blonde shared a giggle as they pulled back from each other, both teary-eyed but smiling.

"He is impossible, isn't he." She smirked knowingly.

"Well maybe…but that's a _good_ thing; having someone who's…so in love with you that it's almost overwhelming in the best of ways, is a rare thing…there's very few men who are that open with their hearts."

A shadow had fallen across Matsuri's countenance and Temari picked up on her change in mood. "Speaking of which…what's been going on with you and Gaara?"

Her straightforward question threw Matsuri off guard and for a moment, her black eyes widened in panic—did Temari _know?_

Seeing the obvious fear in her eyes, Temari's tentative smile faded and she gripped the younger woman's arm. "Matsuri? What's happened? Has my brother done something to you?"

Matsuri could hear the sharp edge in the other woman's voice and she took a deep breath and plastered a placating smile on her face. "O-oh no it's nothing like that, Temari don't worry, I just—"

"Matsuri. Are you really going to try and lie to me right now?"

The placating smile faded instantly and she slumped into a chair, hands clenched in her lap. "I—I don't know what's going on Temari; I've been—so confused."

Temari had slipped out of her dress and was now getting dressed as she listened to Matsuri. "So? What's got you confused?"

Matsuri bit her lower lip and her fingers clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "Would—would you believe me i-if I—t-told you that he kissed me?"

A deafening silence fell between them and when Matsuri chanced an upward glance, she found the Suna princess staring at her with a blank expression and parted lips.

"Temari-sama?" she called hesitantly.

It was then that the older woman blinked a few times and shook her head. "I—sorry. That—that was _not_ what I was e-expecting."

Matsuri sagged; feeling a certain weight lift from her shoulders now that she'd confided to someone, but the anxiety hadn't left her. "Tell me about it."

Temari knew from this point on, she needed to tread carefully and so, she took a seat beside the brunette and let her hands rest calmly in her lap. "Did he say anything?"

"We—we were having an argument; he said I was avoiding him. I denied it but not in the traditional sense; I knew lying to him would've been pointless, not to mention a v _ery bad idea."_

Temari bit back a sympathetic smile, knowing all too well how lying to Gaara always seemed to backfire in the worst of ways.

"So I pretty much just refused to give an answer. When he asked me why, I told him I couldn't lie to him but that he wouldn't understand or appreciate my answer so it was best to just not give one."

"Hmm. And how did _that_ go?"

Matsuri scoffed. "He—'refused to accept my lack of an explanation.'"

Temari raised her brows and stared at the woman. "Wow. Well that _does_ sound very Gaara. When did…what happened after that?"

Matsuri bit her lip, her cheeks dusting with a hint of shame. "I—sort of antagonized him; I called him 'Kazekage-sama' and told him he had no choice but to accept my explanation and…well I don't really know what happened after that to be honest—it's like one minute I was walking away…and then t-the n-next…" She trailed off, her cheeks burning furiously at the memory of his hands on her, restraining her as he bruised her lips with his kiss. The look in his eyes—she would _never_ forget that look as long as she lived.

"Matsuri…?"

She was pulled from her thoughts and met Temari's troubled gaze. "I'm alright, Temari—he—he didn't hurt me, I just—I was so surprised and his reasons were…"

"You mean he gave you a reason as to _why_ he kissed you?!"

The young woman fidgeted nervously, this conversation was more awkward than she'd ever imagined it would be. "N-not r-really, it—well it was very direct but—"She huffed and forced herself to meet Temari's eye. "He said that he liked how it felt. And I could tell by the look in his eyes, he w-wanted to kiss me again but I—felt it was wrong because he doesn't e-even know what a kiss means!" Her cheeks burned and she averted her eyes for a moment, feeling impossible embarrassed in that moment.

"Matsuri, you can trust me." Temari laid a reassuring hand on her arm and Matsuri forced out a half-hearted smile.

"I—I know that, it's just—so embarrassing. He s-said that he wanted to—d-discover what it meant and he kissed me again. After that, I did my best to avoid him b-but—"

"Wait. Are you saying that this wasn't the _first time?"_

"No. There was—a-another time. The d-day after, he…he sort of cornered me in the market and we t-talked but then he—"She felt herself trembling and she rubbed her arms up and down, furiously like she was cold. "He's so—intense, Temari! I d-didn't even know what to say to him! When he gets like that, it's like I c-cant e-even look at him much less—I mean at one point, I m-must have lost myself and kissed him back because when I'd finally managed to b-bring him to his senses, his lips looked—"

Her hastened words broke off when she saw the other woman start to smile.

"T-Temari-sama w-why are you—?"

"He's madly in love with you—and he doesn't even know it."

Matsuri gasped and stared at the older woman, gaping.

"I—w-what?"

Temari took her by the shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. "Listen Matsuri, I know this is confusing for you and that you're scared. But this is _Gaara_ ; he has no experience with this at all. None. His intensity isn't to frighten you, it's his way of begging you to show him what to do because he has no clue. He doesn't know that he's asking—he's probably struggled for the words but with the way that he is—instinct is all that he knows, Matsuri and his instinct is telling him that he has to communicate to you however he can and that's where the intensity comes in. It's so that you are left in _no doubt_ as to his feelings for you."

"But I—how is that even possible?! He never looked at me that way before! Temari, I was his student for two years! One of which he rarely had time to train me—how can he all of a sudden look at me and f-feel—something so strong when for all those years, all he ever saw in me was a frivolous, energetic _child?"_

She didn't realize it but she had tears streaming down her sun-kissed cheeks and Temari felt a pang of sympathy for the emotionally distraught kunoichi.

"Sometimes—it takes years for us to realize that _everything we've ever wanted_ has been right there the whole time." She looked deeply into Matsuri's eyes and smiled softly.

"You're talking about Shikamaru now."

Temari's smile widened and she pulled Matsuri into a close hug. "Yes. Yes I am; I was an idiot for a long time, Matsuri—it took me awhile to realize he had always been there, patiently waiting for me to see how much he loved me, how much he wanted me. But I was so stubborn."

"I just—there's no possible way that Gaara-sama knows how I feel—even if I were to blurt it out, he wouldn't have a clue, Temari, I mean what the hell am I supposed to do, if all I get is impulsive intense moments with no words?"

Temari pulled back from her. "Just don't think about it so much, Matsuri; don't focus on _telling_ him, so much as _showing_ him."

Matsuri shook her head, looking away. "You make it sound so easy. But it's never been that simple…not with Gaara. I can't just swallow back my hurt and uncertainty all of a sudden and show him what I feel—I don't trust him yet, I don't know if I'll _ever_ trust him with that part of me."

Temari nodded slowly. "I understand how you feel. And just so we're clear, I'm _not_ advising you to just show up in his quarters, strip naked and beg him to take you."

"T-Temari-sama!" Matsuri sputtered in utter mortification.

"Hey, hey, that's NOT what I'm saying! And I know you don't trust him and I don't blame you. BUT, we both know that avoiding him is the least likely solution; in fact, it's not a solution at all—he'll corner you eventually and from what you've told me, you'll get no chance to explain yourself or reason with him—intensity and instinct seem to be what drives him when it comes to you." She couldn't help but smirk a little at this, having a pretty good idea where Gaara's _instinct_ was headed; there was a big part of her that was concerned but she knew her brother would die before he hurt Matsuri and so she chose to remain confident in that assurance.

"Just remember Matsuri—whatever you decide, Gaara's running on pure instinct and he won't leave you be as long as you keep avoiding him. This whole thing started with a question that _you_ refused to answer, but he needs that answer, Matsuri—he deserves it and so do you."

Matsuri bit her lip nervously, her black eyes pleading. "But—what answer can I give?"

Temari shook her head. "Only _you_ can know that for certain, Matsuri."


	14. Her Kind Of Love

_**Two Weeks before the Wedding…**_

That evening, the Sand siblings—along with Shikamaru—were seated at dinner, discussing plans for the rehearsal dinner.

After a lengthy argument between the groom and bride-to-be—with Gaara mediating—it had been decided that the rehearsal dinner would be held at the Akamichi Barbeque & Fine Dining; it had the option for a higher-class atmosphere that Temari had been hoping for, yet the food was relatively inexpensive which suited Shikamaru perfectly.

Once that was decided, the bride and groom browsed through the Barbeque's main course menu; they'd already chosen three courses for the rehearsal dinner but as usual, they'd gotten into an argument and as a result, the main course was still undecided.

Kankuro stared across the table at Shikamaru and Temari, rolling his eyes as the two bickered.

"Sheesh; if _this_ is what getting married is like, you can sure as hell count me out."

Gaara was seated at the foot of the table, arms crossed over his chest and eyes closed in seeming-meditation—a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Oi, where the hell is Matsuri anyway, isn't she supposed to be here for this? She is the Maid of Honor after all."

Gaara peaked an eye open at the mention of her name but otherwise, there was no reaction from the redhead whatsoever.

"Oh she and I discussed things earlier this week so it's fine; besides, she had a mission today so I wasn't expecting her to be here."

"A mission?"

It was Gaara's solemn voice that broke the momentary silence.

Temari eyed him with a raised brow.

Kankuro barely stifled a chuckle.

"Yes, she's actually been enlisted on the Volunteer's list; Naruto—er Hokage-sama seemed eager to have her help with some of the A and B ranked missions; seems most of the Jonin are out on A and S-Rank missions and some of the Chunin groups are consequently left without a team leader. She volunteered six months after she was here and it seems to be good for her; gives her lots of experience."

Kankuro gave a hum of mild interest while Gaara merely stared intently into space, the place between his eyes furrowed as he concentrated his thoughts.

Sensing his brother's brusque change in demeanor, Kankuro glanced at him. "Gaara? What is it?"

"Nothing. I simply—perhaps it is missions that have been keeping her preoccupied then."

A look of confusion flitted across Kankuro's face and he looked to Temari for an answer.

"Is everything alright with Matsuri, Gaara?" Temari phrased the question carefully, having a pretty good hunch what her brother was thinking, but not wanting to give anything away yet.

"I am not certain; we—had a disagreement. A week ago and she's—seemed different, more withdrawn I suppose."

"You think she's avoiding you?" Kankuro questioned, lips pulling into a frown as he observed his brother.

"Perhaps…I can't seem to get her to tell me exactly what is wrong; she tends to not give me a direct answer or she avoids the question altogether."

"Well, Matsuri is…rather sensitive and she's also a very private person." It was Nara speaking now. "Sounds to me like you just need to give her some space."

"The last time I gave Matsuri 'space' she left Suna eleven months ago, without a word." Gaara snapped.

The room went silent, all eyes trained on the Kazekage who now seemed less than relaxed in that moment.

Sensing the tension, Gaara unclenched his fists and settled back into his seat. "Forgive me, I—I am simply having a bit of a—troubling time with this situation."

"I hear you, women are troublesome, even if they're—ow!"

He rubbed the sore spot on his ribs and glanced at Temari who was burning holes in him with one of her famous death glares. "Can it, idiot; the last thing Gaara needs is _your incompetent_ advice on women."

"Honestly, Gaara I don't get why you're stressing over this; Matsuri's been gone a long time like you said and seeing you after all that time is obviously gonna have her nerves ruffled so just give it a rest."

"Kankuro." Temari warned in a low voice but her brother ignored her.

"…Ruffled nerves?" Gaara rolled the words around in his mouth awkwardly, his face betraying his obvious confusion. "I—I don't understand. Why should my presence have Matsuri feeling—ruffled?"

"Oh man, this is pathetic…" Shikamaru drawled, shaking his head at his future brother-in-law."

Kankuro paused mid-chew, feeling his brother's pensive jade eyes burning into the side of his face. "Uh…well I mean com'on; you know with how she feels about you and all, it's just not a surprise—"

"Kankuro!" This time, Temari hissed, drawing the attention of the Kazekage who was getting more and more confused by the second.

"How—how Matsuri— _feels about me—?"_

"Oh for gods' sake, Matsuri loves you, you idiot." Shikamaru exclaimed in an exasperated sigh.

The room fell completely silent and then there was a gasp as Temari stared in horror at her fiancé.

"Shikamaru…" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Look, be pissed at me, Temari I don't care; I'm tired of this whole thing—Matsuri loves him but she ain't got the guts to tell him because he walks around not having the damndest clue what the hell that word even means! It's about high time someone spell it out for him and as you and Kankuro clearly have no intention of ever doing so, well it's left up to me I guess."

"You…you had no right, Nara, damn it, Matsuri's going to be furious when she finds out, not to mention mortified!"

"Well sobeit, at least it'll be out in the open, over and done with."

"I can't believe that you'd—"

"…Loves me?"

The bickering duo fell silent and once again, all eyes turned to the redhead.

He was staring at the table, deep in thought until he raised his eyes and stared at them. "I—I know that word has—some semblance of meaning to me…" His hand strayed to run across the blazing red Kanji on his forehead. "But I am not entirely certain what that meaning entails, I—I have never really considered it."

"It means she feels for you the same way that Hinata feels for Naruto." Shikamaru offered, further ignoring the incessant glaring from his fiancé.

Gaara's jade eyes snapped up to clash with Nara's piercing black ones. "There are different kinds of love, Gaara; like the love that Temari and Kankuro have for you and each other—that's sibling love; you can't stand each other sometimes, yet you know that family will always be there no matter what. The love you have for the people of Suna is like the love of a parent, a guardian; you would do anything to protect and keep them safe and you work your hardest to provide them with the best future they can have; you always put them and their needs ahead of your own."

The room had grown intensely silent as each occupant listened intently to the strategists words; Temari had nearly forgotten her anger, so entranced she was by her fiance's in depth wisdom on such a subject.

"The love you have for your friends is that of comradery; compassion and mutual understanding. You are strengthened by the support and loyalty of one another, hence the bond grows stronger."

The Nara prodigy paused and for a moment, a look of intense affection warmed his features as his dark eyes found Temari's face. "The love that Matsuri has is the strongest and most intensely fierce of them all; it's when you see that one person and all you can think about is how much they've changed you. You can't seem to grasp what your life was like without them, you find yourself thinking about them every waking second and even when you lay your head down to sleep, their face is the last one you see before you close your eyes. You get so consumed just by the sight of them that you find you can't think straight, can't even breathe and all you hear is this damned furious pounding in your chest, like your heart's screaming for them but at the same time, it's terrified because that person has the power to break you with just a single word or look. It's intense, it's confusing and you lose sleep over it—sometimes you even cry yourself mad over it, especially when you don't know if that person could ever feel the same way about you as you do them."

His eyes had never left Temari as he spoke and the blonde kunoichi found herself speechless with a lump of increasing emotion rising in her throat.

"When you're near them, it's worse; you've got so many emotions running around and thoughts in your head, you can't think rationally and that's when things start to get crazy. You can't control how you think and sometimes, you can't even control how you act—all you can do is feel and that feeling burns so intense sometimes, you lose yourself in it and your whole body just aches to be as close to that person as possible. But if they don't feel the same and you don't have the courage to tell them how you feel, you just feel miserable then." At this moment, Shikamaru's gaze finally broke away from Temari and he stared the Kazekage straight in the eyes. "You aren't just loving them…you're _in love_ with them and it drives you insane when you keep it all bottled up inside. It gets you to the worst level of misery you could ever experience and believe me, it's far worse than any physical pain you or I have ever endured."

Gaara was speechless for the longest moment and his calm, composed exterior had finally cracked as he stared at Shikamaru with wide-open eyes and parted lips.

"That. Is the kind of love that Hinata and Naruto have for each other and it is _that_ kind of love that Matsuri's had for you. Sure, it was probably just a silly little fangirl crush at first but then she watched you grow and come into the man that you are now; she watched you sweat, struggle and bleed for your people, she watched you die and then she watched you come back and triumph. She's seen every possible side of you there is to see, Gaara; if anything, Matsuri is the only person who knows you _perfectly and completely_ more than anyone else, even your siblings."

Another pause of silence and then Kankuro spoke. "It's true, you know."

Gaara turned to look at him.

"She's always watched you, paid attention to you when no one else gave it a second thought and during the war, there were countless times that she had your back; out of every other shinobi in all of Suna, Matsuri was always the one there, waiting at your side. Hell, even when Temari and I were still scared of you, there she was begging you to be her Sensei, fearless and undaunted. That girl…that _woman's_ the bravest one I know, Gaara…and Shikamaru's right, she loves _you._ She always has."


	15. Gaara's Resolve

Late that night, Temari stood out on the back porch of the Nara main house, thinking. She hadn't gone home as sleep forever eluded her and quite frankly, she wasn't at all certain if she could face a certain brunette kunoichi without spilling the beans about the fact that they'd all pretty much spilled the beans.

"Can't sleep?"

She turned to see her dark-haired fiancé in nothing but sleeping pants and a black house yukata, leaning against the doorway with his midnight hair hanging loose and a knowing gleam in his eye.

She sighed heavily. "Do you really think it was the best idea to dump all of that on him?"

Pushing off the wall, he came to stand beside her, leaning on the railing and looking out across the open fields. "Eh, he needed to hear it, Tem. Besides, it was getting to be a real pain seeing him moping around because he couldn't figure out why Matsuri was avoiding him."

She snorted a laugh. "'Mope?' Really? You think my little brother 'mopes'?"

He cracked a grin. "Well he sure as hell broods then. Doesn't matter what you call it, the guy's miserable even if he doesn't know it."

She bit her lip, leaning her head on his shoulder. "He kissed her, you know."

"What?!"

"Shh!" She slapped his arm. "Not so loud, Nara, gods! But yeah…she told me last week. Like they had this argument, he wasn't satisfied with her…'lack of explanation'…so I guess he got a little intense and then before she knew it…bam." She snapped her fingers for emphasis.

Shikamaru blew out a breath. "Damn. I didn't know the browless stiff had it in him."

Another smack to his arm, harder this time. "Hey, that's my little brother you're talking about, not to mention the Kazekage."

"Yeah, yeah and he's _my_ future brother-in-law so he better get used to the nicknames."

She shook her head but she couldn't hold back a tiny smirk at his directness.

"You always were very direct—something that you and Gaara have in common actually." And with that, she tipped her head up and planted a light kiss on his jaw before turning and heading back inside.

The pair hadn't realized that a certain redhead was seated on the roof above them and overheard their conversation.

If anything, it left the young Kazekage more confused than he'd already been but there was one common thread he understood, through the maze of endless questions; Whatever he'd been feeling for Matsuri over the last month was real and it was deep-seated and growing with every passing day he thought about her.

He realized she must have known it and seen it when she looked at him because if what Nara had said the previous night held any merit, her avoidance of him was a clear indication that she felt it too—whatever _it_ was and her fear of him reciprocating those feelings was what drove her to keep away from him.

Well, no more.

He may not have been the keenest of men when it came to matters of the hear—despite the lengthy lecture he'd sat through that evening—but he knew a few things that would undoubtedly see him through, one of them being determination and the will that drove him to never give up, no matter how impossible the circumstances might be; the rest could wait till then. Right now, there was only one continuous thought that pervaded his mind:

He had to speak to Matsuri…tonight.


	16. Real

_**Here we are with more GaaMatsuri moments! Now, granted, this isn't a full-fledged lemon but there are intense moments between our favorite couple, in this chapter so enjoy, stay tuned and I promise the lemons aren't too far off, just bear with me! Review, Review as always!**_

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The moon shone its pale brilliance in the night sky as the Kazekage strode purposefully towards the gate. Remembering Temari's previous mention of a mission, Gaara decided he would check with the Night watch first, just in case Matsuri had not yet arrived.

"Has Matsuri of Suna returned from her mission as of yet?"

The gate guards stood at attention at his approach. "Lord Kazekage! Ah, yes, in fact you only missed her by half an hour; she's probably home right at this moment."

Gaara nodded. "Thank you."

The two Shinobi bowed deeply as the man turned his back and retraced his steps.

# # # #

Matsuri dropped her pack and Zanbato at the door and groaned. What a day; she'd been gone most of it, leading her three-man chunin squad through some treacherous mountain territory in search of a missing family heirloom that had been stolen from the Feudal Lord's nephew who had been visiting from the Wind country.

It hadn't taken them long to discover the bandits' hideout but there had been a slightly greater number of them than they'd previously expected. Thankfully, none of her team were injured but she'd had a particularly rough time with the leader of the thieves; he'd been strategically clever and she was hard-pressed to corner him but thankfully, her best friend and former instructor—Temari—was an exceptional strategist and she'd had some tricks up her sleeve as a result.

Now, all that she desired was a hot bath and to collapse blissfully into bed.

She soaked for a good half-hour before stepping out and dressing in a warm, long-sleeved grey sweater with an open back. The hem reached only to mid-thigh but that wasn't a problem once the Sand kunoichi pulled on her thick, woolen thigh-high socks and crawled into bed.

She sighed contentedly and was just about to surrender to blissful slumber when there was a hesitant knock on the door.

"…Seriously?!" She huffed and sat up in bed, a disgruntled scowl settling on her face.

Whoever had the nerve to be pounding at her door at this hour of the night, better have a damn good reason.

For himself, Gaara's knock was uncertain and a part of him regretted this entire horridly, stupid idea.

Just what in the hell was he supposed to say to her once she came to the door? What manner of explanation could he give for disturbing her at _this_ ungodly hour, that wouldn't make him look like a complete ass?

Unfortunately, the young Kazekage didn't have any time to debate on a strategy because the door was swinging open and a furious-looking kunoichi was muttering a string of explicit curses.

"…incompetent, insensitive _ass,_ whoever you are, better have a _fucking brilliant explanation for this,_ or else I'm go—"

The obscenities died on her lips and she simply stared at the flaming-haired man with a gaping mouth.

"Matsuri, forgive me for disturbing you—but I—well that is, there is a matter which I need to discuss and—" His jade eyes took in her appearance and suddenly, the Kazekage's words trailed off as he stared at her.

Her hair was wet and splayed wildly across her shoulders, leaving drenched spots along the neckline of her sweater.

The hem of it reached to about the middle of her thigh and as far as he could tell, she had nothing else on, save for the thigh-high grey woolen stockings.

"G-Gaara-sama?"

His mouth went dry.

She held the door as if it was a protective barrier between them. "I—I'm sorry about—I just d-didn't know it was you."

Managing a subtle shake of the head, Gaara swallowed once, wet his lips and spoke. "No it's perfectly alright, I—I'm certain me just barging in like this, seems…"

"Unsettling?" She offered.

His jade eyes found hers and for some reason, the subtle arch of her brow, coupled with the questioning gleam in her eyes, caused the ghost of a smile to appear on his lips.

"Perhaps, yes."

She shifted from one foot to the other, biting her lower lip and then gazing back at him.

His eyes were focused on her, watching her intently.

"How—how was dinner?"

He clasped his hands behind his back in a more casual stance—though on the inside, the man was feeling anything but. "It was sufficient, thank you; Temari and Shikamaru finally settled on a place for the rehearsal dinner—though the two did manage to get into a few squabbles over what the main course should be."

Matsuri snickered. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I know; they bicker like children, yet—"

"—They're completely devoted to each other." She finished softly.

Gaara caught the faraway look in her eyes; it spoke of emptiness and longing.

"Matsuri." His voice was uncommonly gentle and his eyes held a warmth as he looked down at her.

She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks and from the subtle smirk that crossed the face of her sensei, he must've seen it.

She cringed inwardly.

"Matsuri, I—I apologize if my being here has been…difficult."

Her head snapped up and she went breathless from the brilliance of his jaded orbs.

"What—has Temari said something to you?"

Knowing Temari was doubtlessly her confidant in many things, Gaara had no desire to fracture that relationship; thankfully he had nothing to worry about since it had actually been Shikamaru. "Temari tells me many things, Matsuri—however if you are referring to the question I've asked you—the one you refuse to answer—then I can assure you that, no; Temari has not told me anything."

The brunette kunoichi visibly relaxed but there was still an aura of anxiety radiating from her and it made him physically ache.

"I see."

"However, that does _not_ go without saying that I haven't given up—I still intend to receive an answer."

She couldn't bite back small smile. "You will be—waiting a very long time, Gaara-sama."

"I am a patient man."

"To an extent." She countered.

"And I have my ways when it comes to finding the truth." He challenged back, giving her a pointed look.

She caught the beginning smolder in his eyes and tore her gaze away. "I don't doubt it."

Silence fell between them.

"Forgive me, I've been keeping you standing out in the cold; its chillier here than in Suna—would you care to come in?" She asked, stepping back and holding the door a bit wider.

Her perfectly innocent invitation, held so many meanings for the young Kazekage and he felt that familiar intense burning surging within his chest again.

His hands curled into fists at his sides.

"I don't think you know what you are asking, Matsuri."

She blinked at him owlishly. "Eh, what?"

Fiery jade eyes collided with onyx orbs. "You are inviting me into your home in the middle of the night, under the assumption that I will refrain from ravaging your mouth the moment I set foot in the door."

Once again, his brazen directness had thrown her for a loop and she stared at him, mouth agape.

"What you seem to have forgotten—is that I have…kissed you…before and it has never ended with just one."

She shook her head in disbelief, red flooding her cheeks as she stared at him. "I—you are so confusing, Gaara-sensei; you are also v-very blunt which honestly astounds me w-when it comes to—s-such things." Her eyes fell to the floor between them, unable to meet his gaze in that moment.

"Is it my _directness_ that offends you? Or the fact that I have kissed you?"

She could feel her body start to tremble under his pointed gaze. "I—m-m-maybe a bit of b-both."

"Why?"

She huffed out a laugh. "Your questions again; you always ask the most simple yet impossible."

"It isn't impossible, Matsuri; all you have to do is answer it, truthfully. There is nothing complicated."

Her eyes were now concealed behind a curtain of chestnut locks and her voice came out soft and quiet when she answered.

"You ask for the truth…but do you really want the truth, Gaara-sama?"

"You know I do."

Tiny hands curled into fists and she bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling. "Very well—then I will answer you, this once."

He waited, his eyes glued to her every move.

Black eyes brimming with tears were suddenly bared and looked deeply into his own.

"When you are near me, it hurts so much, I can hardly breathe. When I hear your name, I can't even t-think straight much less—formulate a coherent s-sentence!"

He stared at her in confusion and awe.

"The way that I feel right now? You c-can't even imagine it—I can't s-stand being near you and yet I know being without you is like condemning myself to death! You see everything in black and white, Gaara but I don't! I can't! When I look at you, I see red, and gold, gods I see jade every time I look in your eyes and I nearly lose myself to it!"

The tears were pouring freely from her eyes but she pressed on, forcing the words from her mouth that she'd kept hidden for so long it had nearly torn her apart.

"E-Every time I l-look at you, all I can think about is t-that _infuriatingly stupid, wonderful, criminal kiss_ of yours and it _kills_ me! It k-kills me because I want to b-believe that it's real, that it means _something_ but I _can't_ because you don't even know what it means and t-there's n-nothing I can do, I just—I just c-can't—"

He was reaching out to her now and his fingers found her wrist, curling around it. "Matsuri…" He breathed, coaxing her towards him.

"N-No p-please…please I c-can't—please l-leave me be."

He pulled her into his arms, not knowing how he could ease her pain, yet desperately aching to do so. "Matsuri, it's real. It's _real._ "

She was shaking her head but he held onto her wrist while his free hand stroked her cheek, wiping away the tears that fell.

"It is real because ever since that day on the bridge, I've felt it and every moment that I've spent with you, it has grown stronger."

"Y-you c-can't know that, you can't know—"

"You are right; I can't know what this feeling is, I may not have a name for it but I _swear to you,_ it is as real as the blood flowing through my veins and I don't want to avoid it."

Her tears had subsided but he could sense the resistance in the way her body tensed.

"G-Gaara-sensei…"

"Matsuri…" His mouth drew down to hers and his breath ghosted across her lips as he whispered heatedly, "…Please…don't make this go away…"

His lips barely grazed hers and a shiver ran through her body as her eyelids fluttered closed.

"Please…" In the next second his lips were devouring hers eagerly and he pushed himself across the threshold, the door falling shut behind him.

Matsuri shivered, clinging to the front of Gaara's robes as the sound of the door clicking shut, echoed through the darkened apartment.

"G-Gaara…"

"Shh. Don't speak." He whispered ruggedly into her ear before his mouth descended to her neck where he dropped an experimental open-mouthed kiss against her throat and then another to her shoulder.

He felt her shiver and goosebumps pebbled the surface of her sun-kissed flesh.

Her fingers clutched the material of his robes and whether she realized it or not, she tugged him closer, causing the young Kazekage to smirk lightly—he must be doing something right.

"Tell me, Matsuri—tell me what you like." He breathed huskily, dragging his mouth along her jawline and up to her mouth where he captured her lips again.

"I—I—"

He parted her lips with his and slipped his tongue into her mouth.

She gasped and moaned, snaking her arms around his neck and tangling her fingers into his flaming hair.

Gaara's arms wound tightly around her waist and back and he lost himself to the intense heat of the kiss and the feeling of her fingers tangling in his hair.

"Hmm…G-Gaara-sensei."

"I like it when you call me 'Sensei'."

Matsuri pulled back from the kiss and stared breathlessly into his eyes.

Gaara refused to release his hold on her and simply stared back at her with the same intense, bottomless emotion swimming in the depths of his eyes.

"Gaara-sama, please."

He ran his thumb along her swollen bottom lip, jade orbs smoldering. "Matsuri, I—I know, but I—I can't help myself." And the flaming-haired Kazekage swooped in for yet another brutally heated kiss that was certain to leave them both breathless.

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 _Ohoooo! Intense moments here! I know, I know, some of you were hoping for a full on lemon but I just don't feel right about bringing that in just yet—still feel it's a bit too soon but don't worry, there are many more intense moments to come between our favorite Kazekage and his devoted kunoichi. Have no fear! The lemons are not far off, I promise!_


	17. Tell Me

_**I'm sorry this is a late update but life is insane! A toddler who's almost 2, gets to be quite a handful and I've been running around like crazy! Anywho, I apologize that my updates are scarce but it's all I can manage at the moment so please bear with me! Hope you guys enjoy this next one; I've been debating back and forth, exactly where to pick up from, with this chapter so hopefully, you'll be satisfied with this.**_

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 _Chapter 17-Tell Me_

When their kiss broke, Matsuri gasped for air; her lungs burned, her head felt dizzy and her body was on fire.

"G-Gaara please!" Pressing her hands on his chest, she shoved her way out of his arms, though the man himself barely moved.

Striding to the opposite side of the room with her back to him, she clasped a hand to her chest and struggled to catch her breath.

"Matsuri."

The throaty tenor of his voice was right by her ear and she whirled around, coming face-to-face with smoldering jade orbs.

She put a hand out in front of her in an attempt to keep him away but the Kazekage caught her fingers in his and held her hand against his chest, just over his heart.

She inhaled sharply when she felt his strong heartbeat beneath her fingertips and hot tears stung at the back of her eyes.

"Don't be afraid of me."

She couldn't look at his eyes; her gaze was glued to the place on his chest where he held her hand in his firm but gentle grasp.

"Are you that afraid of me?" He pressed, ducking his head so he was eye level with her.

Black eyes met his then and the owner of them shook her head, biting her lip. "No. No Gaara-sensei. I have n-never been afraid of you; n-not in the way that you think."

"Then why? Why are you trembling even now?"

Her eyes darted to their joined hands and they widened when she saw that her hand was indeed shaking uncontrollably beneath his.

Onyx orbs filled with tears then and she let out a shuddering breath. "I—I j-just—"

Her back hit the wall then and she knew his closeness had her trapped; he stood less than a foot from her now, his body radiated incredible heat and she caught the scent of sand and pomegranates wafting off his skin.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she inhaled unconsciously, breathing in his intoxicating scent.

Warm finger tips caressed from her hairline down to her jawline and then the tip of a finger

Brushed across her bottom lip in an agonizingly tender stroke.

"Matsuri, please look at me."

His voice sent shivers through her body but she obeyed nonetheless and her eyes fluttered open, meeting his gaze.

"You are _bewitching,_ Matsuri."

"I—w-what?" She breathed and her lips parted in astonishment as she looked at him.

He drew closer, the front of his body brushed against hers. "You are—bewitching _me."_ His lips barely grazed the corner of her mouth before brushing across her cheek bone as he inhaled her heady scent of plums and figs.

"G-Gaara-sama—?" the timid lilt in her voice brought warmth spreading through the Kazekage's being and he felt a shudder ripple through his body when her breath ghosted across his neck as she exhaled.

"You smell—incredible, Matsuri." He whispered against her temple.

His forward statement brought a crimson burn to her cheeks and she slumped forward, her forehead buried against his chest as she let out a shaky sigh. "W-Why do you d-do this to me?" Came the pathetic whimper.

"Do what?" He asked, still holding her close.

"T-This." Her shoulders shrugged and she slipped a hand up to his shoulder to steady herself as she leaned back to look up at him. "Confuse me with your hot and cold behavior. Dragging me into back alleys a-and then—b-barging into my a-apartment just so you can-"

"Do you not want me here?"

The question surprised her and she closed her mouth and just stared at him.

His face was an impassive mask as always but she detected flashes of emotion in his jaded orbs—uncertainty, confusion and disappointment among others.

"I—"

"Just tell me." His voice came out strained and the harsh edge returned to his eyes as he observed her carefully, waiting for her response.

"Honestly, I don't know. That's the truth, Gaara-sama."

"Does my presence repulse you?"

Her black eyes snapped to his face and his jade eyes had lost every bit of their previous warmth and were now staring at her, cold and calculating.

"You _know_ that's nothing but a lie, Gaara-sensei."

His the tension eased from his shoulders marginally but his expression was still cool and indifferent.

"Then you must explain to me because otherwise I-"

The petite woman let out a growl of frustration and the unexpected sound, caused the Kazekage to regard her with a hint of renewed amusement in his jaded orbs.

"You confuse me! You are s-so intense but it's either _this_ or you treat me coldly as if I don't e-exist." Her voice nearly cracked at the end and she bit her lip hard, holding back the sudden tears that threatened.

At the sight of her obvious distress, the tension in his body vanished and the harshness in his eyes softened. "Matsuri…" He cupped her cheek in one hand, forcing her to look at him.

"I understand that I have hurt you deeply in the past—and believe me when I say it is my deepest regret; just please tell me what I can do to make it right."

She gazed at him hopelessly, his seafoam eyes suddenly holding so much hope and promise.

His other hand came up and he cradled her face tenderly, smoothing away the tear trails from her cheeks. "Just tell me what to do, Matsuri; please tell me what to do and I will do it."

The sincerity in his voice overwhelmed her and she caught a deep tenderness blooming in the depth of eyes as they searched her face.

She felt torn in two.

A part of her wanted him to leave—her head screamed at her to do the right thing and from the rational side of it, she knew that his advances on her, should have been unwanted and therefore, she should put a stop to them…

…but there was _another_ part of her—a part much larger than her rational mind—and that part of her was fully reigned by the desires of her heart and in that moment, her heart was crying out of him desperately; her whole body ached at the thought of sending him away and in spite of knowing what she _should do,_ deep down she knew turning him away now would be unbearable.

She couldn't do it.

She didn't have the will nor the heart to and with that, the Suna kunoichi made her decision, effectively sealing her fate.

When her black eyes met his again, Gaara sensed the woman had made her decision and with one final, 'tell me what to do' he held his breath for her answer.

"Kiss me." She murmured.

Jade eyes widened and pale lips parted as he exhaled sharply.

"What...?"

"I don't know w-what t-this is and I know that you are even more clueless. And the rational part of me is screaming at me that t-this is wrong—"

"Matsuri, no." He shook his head but she held up a hand and continued.

"—I _know,_ Gaara-sama that it is wrong because you yourself are uncertain b-but I'm tired. I'm tired of running. I'm tired of denying how I feel and I'm tired of h-hiding from you so please, _please_ just kiss me because I've w-waited for you all my life and I-"

It was all he needed and he silenced her with brutal press of his lips to hers.

The sand kunoichi shuddered and trembled beneath his forceful touch and her reaction only spurred him on as his hands raked hungrily over her back and down her sides to her hips.

He gripped her hard and yanked her away from the wall, pressing her against the hard length of his body and never breaking the kiss.

His grip on her was like a vice and Matsuri cringed slightly when his fingers dug possessively into her skin—that was gonna leave a bruise or two.

But she couldn't bring herself to care.

She wanted him to hold her like this; hell, she reveled in the way he forcibly dominated her as if he had been starved for her since the day he was born and now, strove to satisfy his burning thirst.

The force of his kiss made it almost impossible to breathe however and eventually, she slipped her hands between them and pushed against him hard.

The man didn't budge and once again, she found herself amazed at the raw strength of her sensei—the man was lengendary for being virtually indestructible!

"G—aa—ra—c-can't—"

Sensing her muffled pleas for air, the young Kazekage released her mouth but his lips still lightly brushed against hers as he allowed her to breathe.

She was gasping and her chest heaved up and down as she drew in lungful after lungful of air.

"Gods!" She gasped, meeting his eyes.

"F-Forgive me—I got carried away." He breathed heavily but the flicker of a grin lit up his eyes when the woman simply snorted softly, one of her tiny smiles curving her cupid bow-shaped lips upwards.

"Really, you think?"

"Perhaps…I should go."

She didn't answer, simply resting her forehead on his shoulder as her racing heartbeat returned to semi-normal and her breathing slowed.

When she felt his arms lightly slip around her waist, she turned face to the side—mindlessly grazing her lips against his neck—and breathed him in.

"Yeah…I guess you should."

When her lips grazed his skin, the Kazekage inhaled sharply and his arms tightened around her.

"G-Gaara-sama?"

She tilted her head up to look at him and her eyes widened when she was met with pools of molten jade.

His lips caught hers in another kiss but this one was more heated then the one before it; the passion was wild and chaotic and suddenly, his hands hungrily roamed her body, fingers raking across her back, down her sides and around to the small of her back.

"Ga-ara, what are you—OH!"

His hands gripped her ass, kneading the flesh vigorously before mapping a pathway to her bare upper thighs.

His fingers curled as he dug into the tender flesh of her thighs, nearly losing himself to the feel of her softness as his questing mouth descended to her slender throat.

"Ahh—uhhn—S-Sensei, youuu…"

He nipped and licked a fiery trail down the column of her throat to her collarbone where he left a tender press of his hot mouth against her tingling flesh.

His hands still held her thighs and he'd hoisted her feet off the ground, now holding her suspended, pinned between the wall and his own body.

Matsuri shuddered; all the sensations he was emanating; the press of his hard body on hers, his hot mouth wetting her skin with his sweet breath and his strong hands imprinting their permanent mark on her thighs…it was overloading her senses and she felt a coil of heat tightening in the pit of her belly.

"Gaa-ra, p-p-please I—y-you are m-making me go c-crazy!" She gasped when his mouth trailed back up the side of her neck until it hovered over her mouth once more.

"I can't t-tell you what it is but I—I want to—I want to have you, Matsuri."

Her hooded eyes barely managed to lift to his and her lips parted as she struggled to breathe.

He still had her pinned to the wall and she almost felt weightless, cradled in the strength of his arms.

"G-Gaara…I…"

"Please, Matsuri…" He drew in a breath just before his lips claimed hers in a heated kiss, his tongue plundering the sweet cavern of her mouth.

"Please let me… _please let me have you."_

 _#######################################_

 _ **Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! That's all's I gotta say I mean I'm over here feelin' all hot and bothered, I don't know bout ya'll but damn….Gaara's Hotttt! Anywho please leave your reviews as always and stay tuned! More is coming, I promise!**_


	18. Hold On

_Chapter 18-Hold On_

Her back hit the bed and in the next second, jade and flaming red filled her vision when Gaara hovered over her. His face drew closer and Matsuri pushed up on her elbows to meet him in a kiss.

When she pulled back, Gaara's hand rested against her upper chest, fingers splayed across her collarbone, as he pushed her down to the bed.

His lips caught hers in a passionate kiss and his hand slid over her breast, coming to a rest on her stomach.

She shivered from the warm pressure of his hand on her but she found the barrier of her sweater between his skin and hers, extremely troublesome.

She would've laughed at Nara's famous phrase popping into her head, if she hadn't been consumed by her sensei's fevered kisses and roaming hands.

As if reading her mind, the redheaded man slipped his fingers passed the hem of her sweater and gripped her bare waist, elicting a hiss and a moan from the woman who instinctively arched into his touch.

"Hmm, G-Gaara-sensei…" she sighed into his mouth, causing the man to groan in response and nip her bottom lip for good measure.

"I can't seem to keep from—touching you." He admitted, squeezing her hip as if to confirm it.

She smirked back at him, her tanned cheeks flushing a pretty pink. "I—I d-don't mind."

"Really?"

His curious gaze unnerved her and she wriggled beneath him, averting her eyes. "H-Honestly Gaara-sama you ask the most…a-awkward q-questions sometimes."

"Forgive me but I only say what I think."

Her eyes darted back to his and his hand slipped lower, long fingers wrapping around her upper thigh as he tugged her closer.

There was only a few inches between them but even that was somehow unbearable for him; any kind of separation from her now, made him feel uneasy though he couldn't fully explain why…all he knew is that he needed her.

He needed all of her as close as possible and so he hooked her leg around his hip and wedged his body snuggly between her thighs.

Matsuri hissed when the raw heat of him pressed against her aching core and unconsciously ground her hips into him, trying to ease the delicious pain.

This elicited a feral growl from her sensei however and his grip on her thigh tightened painfully as his smoldering gaze pierced her soul.

"What are you d-doing to me, Woman?"

"I—I'm s-sorry I d-didn't mean to-"

He brought his mouth close to her ear, lips grazing against her skin as he breathed hotly, "You are a torturous _tease,_ Matsuri—you are making my body _ache…"_

In the next second, his hand dove under her sweater and he forced it over her head and tossed it to the floor.

Matsuri's eyes widened when the cool air assaulted her bare skin; she'd been wearing absolutely nothing underneath—not even underware—and now she felt incredibly mortified being naked in front of her sensei. She tried to cover herself with her hands but Gaara's sharp reflexes stopped her.

He gripped her wrists and pulled her hands away from her now-flushing body, eyes burning with intensity. "Don't you dare hide yourself, Woman…not from me."

She'd never felt so exposed, so vulnerable but she obeyed, clenching her fists at her sides to keep from covering herself.

"Look at yourself, Matsuri." He commanded.

Her gaze snapped down to her naked form before drifting up to his hungry eyes.

"You are _ravishing,_ Love…don't ever doubt it."

She gasped when he called her 'Love' and her heart constricted at the amorous look in his eyes as they raked over every inch of her before coming to rest on her face.

"Gaara…"

"Now…I'm going to have you, Matsuri." His lips grazed against hers and electric shivers shot through her body when one of his hands settled just below her breast as he kissed her slowly, passionately.

"Gaara, wait." She gasped, eyes meeting his questioning gaze. "Please, I…I want to see you." Her fingers found the turned up collar of his deep red coat and she met his eyes again, her own pleading.

"I'm all yours, Matsuri; do what you want with me."

She nodded, unfastening the buttons and straps until the front of his coat fell open, exposing his muscular torso to her.

She inhaled sharply.

It was no secret that Gaara was a specimen of flawless strength but his slender fitting clothes were deceiving to his powerful physique; he was actually broader than what Matsuri had expected and his arms rippled with corded muscles while his chest and stomach were impressively cut and sculpted flawlessly.

She couldn't believe her eyes; there wasn't a single blemish, mark or scar on him either. She had never seen someone—much less a shinobi—with not even a scratch and she wondered if this is why her sensei was known for possessing the Ultimate Defense.

"Matsuri, what is it?"

His deep voice broke through her thoughts and her black eyes snapped to his. "N-Nothing I just—"Her fingertips grazed the skin of his chest and stomach, causing the muscles to twitch beneath her touch. "You are perfect, Gaara-sensei." She breathed in amazement and settled a hesitant hand against his cheek as she gazed into his eyes.

"I—I don't deserve you, Gaara-sama; why would you choose someone as lowly as me? There are beautiful women in Suna—women of grace, status who were bred for men like you…I am nothing in comparison, I-"

Gaara's features darkened into a scowl and he curled an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, gripping the back of her neck with his free hand and forcing her to look him in the eye. "Don't _ever_ say things like that about yourself again, Matsuri. I forbid it." His harsh tone vibrated through her and she almost shook with the force of his words as he pinned her with a dangerous glare.

"There is _no other woman like you._ Nowhere on this earth, have I ever encountered someone like you; you do not force yourself into the spotlight, yet you have captured my attention as no one else has. You never cared to adorn yourself in frivolous fashion, yet my eyes are forever drawn to your figure whenever you are near me." He dropped a hungry kiss to her mouth and as he pulled back, his eyes flashed with amorous lust. "You have no need for makeup because your beauty is unmatched, flawless and exotic— _nothing and no one_ could ever compare to you and that is why…that is why I…"

He dragged his lips down to the hollow of her neck and his teeth raked greedily across her skin, leaving several purplish bite marks in their path as his mouth descended to the swell of her breast.

"Hold on to me, Matsuri." He breathed hotly against her skin when he felt her body tremble in his hold.

His mouth hovered momentarily above her luscious mound and he whispered huskily. "Just hold on to me."

And then he took her aching peak into his mouth.

"Ahhhhuhhn!" She caged his head in her arms, fingers tangling into his flaming hair as she clung to him for dear life.

He tugged and kneaded the nipple between his teeth, swirling his tongue around the erect peak to ease the sting left from his canines.

Matsuri gasped and moaned and shivered from his ministrations and when he turned his attention to her other breast, she hissed and her body arched into him as she tugged roughly on his crimson locks.

His scalp stung but the Kazekage didn't mind at all. The pain mixed with the pleasure her moans exuded, aroused him and soon he found himself greatly discomfited as the tightening in his trousers increased.

As if sensing her partner's discomfort, Matsuri's fingers hooked in the waistband of his trousers and she tugged eagerly, teasing his lips with hesitant caresses of her tongue before pulling back and looking him in the eyes.

"It's—not fair for me to be naked while you—still have your trousers, Kazekage-sama."

He scowled darkly at her use of his formal title but the woman simply giggled before pressing her lips against his jawline.

"You are a wicked woman." He muttered down at her but his dark expression disappeared when her nimble fingers unfastened his pants and tugged them off.

Her eyes never left his and when she'd divested him of his clothes, his usually-quiet and reserved student, boldly straddled his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

The redhead groaned when her hot, dripping wet center settled over his throbbing manhood and he growled, caging her body in his arms as he hungrily devoured her mouth.

She moaned wantonly into his mouth, grinding her hips into his as she returned his kiss with equal ferver.

"Gods, Matsuri!" He gasped, thrusting his tongue passed her lips and lapping up the sweetness of her mouth.

"Ahhh, G-Gaara I—ah!" Gaara thrust into her roughly and then a sharp pain shot through her body causing her to grimace and grit her teeth.

"Matsuri…?"

The woman didn't respond and bit hard on her bottom lip until she drew blood. A few tears poured from her eyes but she fought it down.

Gaara caught the grimace of pain on her face and he looked down between them. He saw red and the Kazekage paled.

"Dear gods…"

His eyes drifted up to her face once more and he was met with her pain-filled eyes gazing down at him.

"I've hurt you." He blurted.

"Gaara-s-sama it's a-alright it-"

His body went rigid and he started to withdraw from her. "I—I am so sorry, Matsuri, I—I never should've touched you I-"

"Don't, please!" She cried, clinging to his neck and pulling him closer again. "It's alright, Gaara-sama…it's normal, it—"her eyes drifted shyly to the place where their bodies were joined and she bit her lip nervously. "I—I've never d-done this, well I mean I-t-that is—

"But you're bleeding; you wouldn't be bleeding if I hadn't been so harsh, I'm sorry, Matsuri, I shouldn't have-"

The woman slammed her lips against his, effectively cutting him off. When she pulled back, she looked straight into his eyes. "I have never been intimate with a man before, Gaara-sama; I'm a virgin and because of that, bleeding is normal. It happens, Sensei please don't worry."

"But—you were in pain."

"The pain is normal too, Sensei…" She drew closer to him, tightening her embrace as she kissed his forehead. "Please…don't pull away from me, Gaara…"

Her soft voice pleaded with him and when he looked up into her eyes, he knew he could never refuse her. Pulling her close, he drew her mouth to his in a prolonged, heated kiss.

When he pulled back, she met his eyes, kissed his nose softly and nodded her head.

"I'm ready." She whispered reassuringly.

He searched her eyes for any doubt and when he found none, he carefully thrust his hips upwards, once again joining his body with hers.

#################################

 _ **I know, I know it's sort of a cliffie but just bear with me, I know what I'm doing here. Review, Review as always!**_


	19. Till Tomorrow

"Mmmnn…G-Gaara-samaaaa…!"

The young Kazekage let out a long, guttural moan as he filled her to the brim; his body shuddered uncontrollably and his fingers clawed up her back, leaving swollen red marks.

Matsuri hissed from the sting on her flesh but then her lover's lips were on the hollow of her throat, sending delicious waves of pleasure shuddering through her body and she melted into him.

"Ahh…Ma—tsuri you…you are so _tight and wet,_ my love."

She let out a wanton moan, throwing her head back when he nipped and licked her tender flesh.

"You are such a wanton little thing, aren't you?" He asked innocently as he drove into her deeper and harder.

"Hmm, y-yessss!"

"Who are you wanton for? Who?"

"I—I don—ahhhn!"

"Tell me, now. Who. Makes you wanton?"

"Y-y-you. Only y-you."

He drove into her until her whole body went rigid and an ear-splitting scream tore from her lips as she cried his name.

In the next second, his own climax shattered his senses and he clung to the woman in his arms as this unknown and overwhelming feeling of intense pleasure engulfed him like a sand storm.

Several minutes ticked by until the two lovers collapsed into each other, chests heaving from labored breaths and bodies shaking as the adrenaline pumped through their veins.

"That was…."

"….Fucking incredible."

His jade eyes, still hazy with the remnants of lust, found hers and he smoothed the hair that stuck to her sweaty brow and neck, away from her face, gazing deeply into her bliss-filled eyes.

"You are glowing, Matsuri."

His husky whisper brought a sleepy smile to the Suna kunoichi's face and she sighed contentedly as they settled beneath the covers with Gaara at her back who instinctively wrapped his arms around her bare waist so he could draw her against him.

When his front met her back, the redheaded Kazekage felt an intense warmth and happiness—unlike anything he'd ever felt before—engulf him and he tucked his chin into the hollow of her neck and shoulder.

He breathed in, reveling the scent of figs and plums that always radiated from her skin and his arms tightened around her. " _This_ is where you belong." He murmured emphatically, surprising the brunette who turned a bit in his arms so she could look at him.

"Gaara-Sensei?" Her hushed, gentle tone brought him out of his nearly-slumbering haze and his dark lids fluttered open.

"In my arms is…what I meant, Matsuri—I—feel that you belong here—with me."

Her onyx orbs widened and her lips parted as she stared at her sensei in awe.

He misinterpreted her expression—being as inexperienced as he was with reading emotions—and a subtle fear and uncertainty gripped him as he drew back marginally. "Am I—am I wrong in my assumption…? Do you not feel the same...?"

A finger was pressed to his lips to silence him and her eyes filled with tears of joy as she smiled at him warmly. "No, Gaara-sama—you are not wrong." And with that, the petite woman turned fully in his arms and snuggled further into his embrace, burying her face into his neck where she could inhale his perfect scent and drink in the warmth and security he provided.

"Your arms are…perfect. There is no other place I would rather be."

# # # #

It was 2am when the Kazekage awoke to an empty place beside him, fear once again gripping his heart in its icy fist. Yet, when his eyes snapped to the window, he found Matsuri curled on the window seat, clothed once again in her sleeping sweater.

"Matsuri?" His deep raspy voice drew the young woman's attention his way and she smiled wandly.

"Temari-sama is almost here."

His senses perked when he felt the spike of a familiar chakra nearing the tiny apartment.

Matsuri bit her lip nervously. "You should go before she gets here, Sensei; I know she would most likely be upset i-if she found you—well 'us' that is—"

"I am the Kazekage; who I spend my time with shouldn't be any of Temari's concern."

"I know, I know but we both know how she is and like it or not, she _is_ going to make it her concern and I don't want you getting in trouble with her because of me." The woman's figure slumped as she resigned herself to the unfavorable reality of their situation.

Gaara knew she was right; he didn't care what his sister might think but the fact of the matter was, he was still the Kazekage and therefore he had a reputation to uphold and being caught in the throes of passion with his former student, was not at all a favorable reflection upon his character.

He stood to his feet and mechanically began to redress.

Matsuri tried to swallow back the painful lump in her throat and the hurt that she felt—no, that she knew would inevitably come.

Whatever this was that she and Gaara had, it wasn't realistic and there was no way that it could lead anywhere. Keeping him safe from his sister was her way of forcing herself to face that reality because she knew, the longer she ran from it, the worse the pain would be when it inevitably caught up to them.

"Matsuri?" The young Kazekage sensed the drastic change in mood and he looked to the woman who stood across the room from him. She was watching the window for Temari but he could tell in the rigid way she held her body—the way her arms wrapped around her like a barrier to keep at bay anything that could hurt her—she was putting up a wall between them.

He couldn't understand why; how she could suddenly withdraw from him after what they had shared, was beyond his comprehension but his instinct told him it had something to do with the fact that Temari would disapprove if she were to discover them together. Not only that, but Matsuri was most likely agonizing over what _everyone_ would think. She'd said something about…him getting in trouble? Or trying to avoid him getting in trouble because of her…? The man shook his head, he couldn't exactly remember but regardless, he shook off the unsettling feeling and reached for her instead.

"Matsuri, whatever it is that's troubling you, don't let it." He caught her hand in his and drew an albeit-reluctant woman, into his arms. She kept her face turned towards the floor, refusing to meet his eyes even when he managed to trap her in his embrace.

"You are far too concerned with what my sister may or may not think and while it is true that I have a certain…expectation to uphold…it has no affect or bearing on where we are in this moment. What you said about being unworthy of me, is nothing but a foolish lie. There is nothing about you that could even come close to unworthy and I demand you banish that from your mind this instant."

She bit her lip, shuddering at his stern tone but a shock went through her when in the next moment, he was cupping her chin and forcing her to meet his eyes.

"I regret _nothing_. I never will."

"I—I k-know." She inhaled, attempting a brave smile as her fingers curled around his wrist and she leaned into his touch.

"And this is not the last that you will be with me, I promise it."

She shook her head. "Gaara, we can't—"

"No. I _will not_ let you walk away from me again, Matsuri—I _forbid it."_ His jade eyes flashed warningly and he would not relent until she'd answered him with a light nod, her cheeks flushing a pretty pink.

Picking up the last of his clothes, the Kazekage threw only his long red coat over his naked shoulders as he took the open window.

"I have several meetings with the Hokage as well as the officials and Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire; it will take time and though I am mainly here as a guest for Shikamaru and Temari's upcoming nuptials, there is still much to be done before then." He turned back to the woman and his cool expression softened as he touched her cheek. "Wait for me until tomorrow, if you can—I do not know when but I will find a way to come to you."

"I understand." She offered him a subtle smile, taking hold of his wrist and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Say it then. Say you will wait for me?"

The way his eyes lit up with an almost child-like hopefulness, melted her heart and drawing closer to him, she tiptoed and placed a gentle, chaste kiss to his lips before answering, "I will wait for you, Gaara-sama; till tomorrow."

His stoic expression melted into the briefest of smiles. "Till tomorrow."


	20. So Many Different Things

_**A/N: So sorry this is a late update but with the holidays, I can't really promise anything more until things settle down! I'm doing my best with what I have, guys so I hope you can understand. Review, Review! I'm really enjoying writing this fic and I'm anxious to see where it goes from here!**_

#################################

 _Chapter 20-So Many Different Things_

The next two days had Matsuri running non-stop errands for Temari's wedding; she met with Ino to discuss the Venue and guest placement and then she ran to the dress shop with Hinata to check on the arrival of the bridesmaid dresses. Temari had chosen a unique exotic style for her bridesmaids that consisted of a strapless sweetheart neckline with an open back and a fitted shape. The dress was floor length and had a side slit that would enable freer movement in spite of the snug-fitting sillouhette.

The material was a soft, subtly-transparent linen in a stunning shade of emerald green and both Temari and Matsuri had been beyond-ecstatic at the prospect of seeing how stunning the girls would look.

With both their arms laden with garment bags containing the three dresses, Matsuri and Hinata bid goodbye to the shop owner and stepped out into the streets.

"I have to admit…I'm not really sure how well emerald green will look with my hair color?" Hinata spoke uncertainly.

Matsuri smirked widely. "I think you'll look divine, Hinata, don't worry!"

"I think you'll be the m-most divine, Matsuri-chan; your olive skin-tone along with your chestnut brown hair and dark eyes…emerald green is going to be breath-taking on you!"

Matsuri found herself blushing furiously at the compliment but she smiled lightly. "Thank you, Hinata. I'm…a l-little nervous though I have to admit. I've never been a part of a wedding before and honestly, the thought of walking down the isle in front of so many people, sort of frightens me."

Hinata nodded in understanding. "I understand completely, Matsuri-chan—I've n-never been g-good with crowds."

Matsuri smiled encouragingly at the other woman as they reached hers and Temari's apartment. Matsuri unlocked the door and held it open for Hinata who smiled in thanks.

"Okay, you can just put the dresses out on my bed, Hinata—I'll be heading to Shikamaru's in about an hour so I'll let him know."

"Alright. A-anything else, Matsuri-Chan?"

"No that's about it, Hinata; thank you, you've been the best! Right now, I need to shower and change before heading to Nara's—I'm meeting him, Temari and Gaara-sama for an early dinner to discuss the final details; rehearsal is tomorrow and Temari wants it to go flawlessly, even though it's just a practice run."

Hinata giggled knowingly and she bid her friend goodbye before excusing herself—she was meeting up with Naruto for a small date and the dark-haired heiress couldn't contain her eagerness at seeing her boyfriend since they had so little time with each other as it is.

Once she was alone, Matsuri started the shower, bathed quickly and chose a simple olive green floor-length long-sleeved dress to wear for dinner. It was just off the shoulders and had a peek-a-boo diamond-shaped opening at the waist to show a little midriff so Matsuri was satisfied that she'd be cool enough, despite the mildly humid climate of the afternoon.

After letting her hair air dry for about a half hour, she pulled it into two braids that she wound around her head like a head-band secured with bobby pins. Her bangs were loosely framing her face and after a glance in the mirror, she decided she was pleased with the simple ensemble and slipped on her black gladiator sandals, lasing them up to just above her ankle.

It took her no time at all to reach the Nara District and when she knocked, Yoshino answered the door, a bright smile lighting her features when saw Matsuri.

"Come in, come in! Temari's already here but my idiot son is running late; some meeting with the Hokage held him over a bit so he's still on his way—actually I think Kazekage-sama is with him as well? Yes, they had several meetings today I believe…oh that dress looks fabulous on you, Matsuri-chan!"

The older woman babbled away as she led Matsuri into the next room where a very anxious looking Temari was found pacing and once the two women greeted each other, Yoshino excused herself to put on some tea.

"Ugh! That damn Nara better have a good excuse for keeping me waiting!" The blond kunoichi muttered angrily as she once again ran a self-conscious hand over the fabric of her wine-red dress. It was similar in style to Matsuri's except hers had no opening in the waist and only a side slit that stopped just above her knee.

The color was stunning on her.

"Don't worry, Temari-sama—you know how Shikamaru-san is; he's a very important member of Naruto-san's council—being Hokagae means that Naruto-san needs the most trusted advisors and I am certain that Shikamaru-san is just that. They'll be here soon, I'm sure of it."

As providence would have it, the sound of mens' voices echoed dully in the entryway and both womens' eyes snapped to the doorway.

Yoshino poked her head in with a sly smirk playing on her lips. "They're here, Temari-sama."

"Finally!" The blond woman stalked out of the room, through the kitchen and large living space until she reached the receiving room where her future husband and brother were absorbed in conversation.

"Shikamaru Nara, where in the hell have you been?!" the Suna princess scolded, scowling darkly at her fiancé with hands poised on her hips.

Shikamaru's dark eyes snapped to the woman and his mouth fell open.

Damn, she looked good.

He still had trouble wrapping his head around how he got so lucky to get a woman like her.

"Hey don't screech at me, Woman, I've been in damn meetings all day and I've got one hell of a headache." He pinched the bridge of his nose and grimaced, only to be pulled out of his bitter mood by the touch of a soft hand against his cheek.

Black, slanted eyes met piercing emerald green and the woman flashed him a simpering smirk before brushing her lips across his cheek.

"You poor baby." She cooed, earning a disgruntled scowl and eye roll from her fiancé.

"Well it's all over now." The blond linked her arm through Nara's, giving his bicep a reassuring squeeze with her free hand as she smiled.

"Well we got reservations at Mystique lounge so we'd better get movin'." Shikamaru muttered lazily, checking his wrist watch before nodding the others to follow.

The couple led the way out, leaving Matsuri and the young Kazekage to follow.

The brunette had been unusually quiet during the exchange and this had not gone unnoticed by the stoic redhead.

His being hummed to life the moment she'd walked into the room and since then, he'd been unable to keep his eyes off of her—though his glances had been discreet.

For herself, Matsuri couldn't suppress the anxious excitement that rippled through her body, at his nearness.

In spite of his promises to come to her as soon as possible, it had been two days of non-stop running for them both; countless errands for her and endless meetings for him had left them both with little to no time for themselves, let alone for each other!

Despite her disappointment, Matsuri really hadn't been expecting anything more but for Gaara, he found his patience steadily waning and as the first day gave way to the second with seemingly no end in sight, the young Kazekage was determined to steal away a moment with Matsuri; he couldn't explain it but the separation from her was leaving him in dire straits!

This early dinner meeting with Temari and Nara had proven to be his salvation and when Matsuri's shoulder lightly brushed against his on her way passed him, he felt that familiar delicious shiver race up his spine, sending his senses reeling.

His hand caught hers just before she crossed the threshold and the brunette snapped out of her musings, meeting his impassive, steady gaze with startled onyx orbs.

"G-Gaara-sama!" She gasped in surprise, stumbling when her former sensei pulled her back in the room and pressed her back against the wall.

"I have been—going mad with impatience; I've wanted to come to you long before now but I—"

She shook her head, nibbling her lip nervously as she fought down the ball of anxiety rising in her chest. "N-No I understand, you've had very important meetings, Kazekage-sama, it's only natural that y-you would be preoccupied."

His hands came to rest on her shoulders, jade orbs flashing. "Why do you insist on infuriating me with ridiculous formalities?"

Black eyes darted to the doorway and she squirmed a bit beneath his intense gaze. "G-Gaara-sama forgive me but w-we really s-should be going…w-we have r-reservations and—"

She was almost out of his reach when a strong hand curled around her arm and pulled her back against a solid chest.

She gasped, lips parting and eyes staring up at him in shock. "I—G-Gaara-sensei…"

He dipped his head, running the tip of his nose from her cheek bone down to her jawline, inhaling her hypnotizing scent.

"You say 'Sensei'…but I hear… _so many different things._ " He murmured huskily against her skin, meeting her eyes with a lust-filled look of his own.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she inhaled shakily as her knees went weak. She raised a trembling hand and pressed it against his chest, her eyes hazy yet imploring. "P-Please Gaara-sama…we must go _now_ b-before they look for us." With that, she managed to pull herself together and slip away, exiting the door in a flurry of stumbling limbs and turbulent emotions.

Damn that man for reducing her to nothing more than a puddle of goo!

She straightened herself and hurried to the lounge, hoping against all hopes that Temari and Nara-san were not suspicious; she could only pray that dinner would go off without a hitch.

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 _ **So what do you think? Like? Don't like? Enough fluff? Not enough? Do you want more intense citrus moments, than simple fluff? Let me know your thoughts in your reviews!**_

 _ **Love, Xoxo!**_


	21. Stealing Away

_Chapter 21-Stealing Away_

Much to her relief, that evening's dinner went smoothly and everyone was behaved—well, aside from Temari's incessant arguing with the waiter that her rib skewers were grossly undercooked.

Matsuri found herself snickering at the antics of the other woman. She often wondered how Shikamaru Nara managed to handle Temari so easily; in fact, he was probably the only person alive who was capable of diffusing her temper successfully without getting the shit knocked out of him!

Clearly, Temari's love and respect for him went beyond the limits of her volatile nature and Matsuri admired the contentment and completeness the two found in one another—being with each other came effortlessly for them it seemed…she couldn't help but envy that.

When dinner drew to a close, the last details for the wedding ceremony had been ironed out and Temari smiled, content with the outcome.

The blond was a bit on edge; after all, her wedding was in just two days and it was almost hard to believe that all the work an effort they'd put into preparations, would indeed be enough to pull it off!

Temari always had a tendency to over-think every step; it's what made her an exceptional strategist and it had been the first aspect of her personality that drew Shikamaru's attraction. Unfortunately, it also made her a terrible bride-to-be because releasing the control to someone else was like pulling teeth! But with Ino's designer sense, Hinata's limitless patience and Matsuri's excellent organization skills, everything had fallen into place perfectly!

As the foursome exited the lounge, the sun was beginning to set and the blond Sand kunoichi let out a yawn, leaning heavily against Shikamaru for support.

"I've never felt so accomplished…yet so _exhausted_ in all my life! And it's not physical exhaustion either, it's like—my mind is completely drained!"

Matsuri who strolled quietly beside the couple, offered a soft smile to her best friend. "It's understandable, Temari-sama but look at it this way—you still have fourty-eight hours until your wedding and you have _everything done!"_

"Hmm." The blonde smiled a sleepy smile, reaching out and squeezing the younger woman's hand. "I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you…not without destroying at least half the village by now."

The dark-eyed Nara snorted humorously, earning a pinch to his ribs by his weary fiancé and even a modest smirk from his future brother-in-law.

Matsuri threw her head back, laughing good naturedly and gave Temari's hand one final squeeze before releasing it as the group came to where the road split off in two directions.

"Well I'm out, guys—I'll see you early tomorrow so don't worry about the rehearsal, Temari, it will be perfect."

The couple slowed to a stop, eyeing the brunette curiously. "It's only seven in the evening, Matsuri-chan." Nara furrowed his brows at her curiously as he absently slung an arm over his fiance's shoulders and pulled her closer against his side.

"Are you sure you won't join us for some tea and Shogi, Mat? It _is really_ early still, Shika's right, why don't you—"

But the brunette was shaking her head, holding up a hand in polite protest as she took a step back from the group. "It's alright, Temari; I appreciate it but I'm really just tired—I've been running non-stop the last two days…not that I'm complaining!" She amended quickly after catching Temari's disgruntled sneer.

"I just would really like a bit of time to rest for now so I can…hit the ground running tomorrow." Her dark eyes briefly snapped to the impassive redhead standing on the other side of Nara but she forced her gaze away.

"Well alright then I mean…as long as you are sure….?"

Matsuri nodded, smiling lightly at the pair. "You two have fun okay?" She whirled around, sashaying away before turning a sly smile over her shoulder at them. "Just don't do anything that _I wouldn't do, kay?"_

With that, Temari's cheeks turned as red as a tomato and Shikamaru muttered something awkward under his breath, shifting uncomfortably and running a hand around the back of his neck.

Matsuri hummed a farewell before turning away once more and flicking her wrist in a wave without looking back.

She hadn't made it very far however before she felt a presence coming up beside her and her suspicions were confirmed when a cool, pale hand took hold of her elbow and gently guided her down the street.

Black eyes snapped to the side and were met with tousled flaming hair and the profile of a strong jaw, high cheekbones and piercing jade eyes fixed straight ahead, expressionless.

She bit her lip uncertainly and looked away.

Was he just walking her home?

Was he wanting to talk to her?

Or was there another motive behind his curious behavior as he held her arm gently, guiding her safely along the somewhat busy road.

They reached the apartment and Matsuri was about to turn and bid him good evening but Gaara surprised her when he released her arm and simply walked on ahead of her until he reached the door.

She shook her head, mildly confused but decided to put that thought away for now and reached for her keys instead.

Once again, the Kazekage left her in bewilderment when he wordlessly took the keys from her and unlocked the door, holding it open for her.

She looked up at him, furtively—his countenance still an expressionless mask that gave away nothing.

"Uhm, t-thank you Gaara-sama." She murmured softly as she walked past him into the house.

In a split second, the Kazekage's composure faltered and he pressed the front of his body against Matsuri's back, pushing her across the threshold before slamming the door behind them.

One second, Matsuri was reeling from the sensation of a solid body pressing into her back and in the next, she was yanked by the arm, whirled around and a hot mouth crushed hers in a bruising kiss.

Since the moment he saw her, he'd been _aching_ to get her alone and once the door had fallen shut, he refused to wait a second longer.

His arm curled possessively around her tiny waist and with his free hand, he cradled the back of her neck, tipping her head back to further deepen the kiss.

He could feel her body shivering and melting in his embrace and the flaming haired man couldn't hold back a smirk.

Slipping her hands between them, she weakly pushed against him. "G-Gaara…" She protested against his lips but the redheaded Kazekage growled impatiently, sealing her protests with a demanding press of his lips and slipping his tongue into her mouth.

Her eyes snapped open and she gasped through her nose.

Then, his tongue tangled sensuously with hers and shimmering black eyes fluttered closed as a moan tumbled from her lips.

Her reaction excited him and his arms tightened around her painfully as he pinned her bodily against the wall.

His lips separated from hers just enough for him to speak. "I—have been— _desolate_ without you; that is—the _only_ way I know how to describe it."

The girl gave a curious kind of little smile and tilted her head at him wonderingly. "I—h-have you been practicing putting emotions into words, Gaara-sama?"

He stared at her blankly for several seconds before catching something of a teasing glint in her eyes which he returned with a semblance of a dark, broody scowl. "You are purposely distracting me."

She blinked wide-eyed at him, surprised. "I—you think I'm avoiding you?"

"Are you?"

Direct as always.

"I wouldn't say so, no."

Something miniscule and with a hint of excitement, flashed in the depths of his eyes, yet his expression remained as flawlessly stoic as ever.

"Then enough of your senseless chatter, Matsuri."

She gaped at him, stunned at his seemingly blunt rudeness and she wondered if he were truly irritated, or was it his half-hearted attempt at humor?

Jade eyes roamed her body from top to bottom before a hand pressed shamelessly against the bared small of her back while the other snaked itself up the length of her arm, along her shoulder and up to her jawline. Fingers curled in a demanding hold at the apex of her chin and her head was tilted back—a bit sharply—as she was forced to meet cool, calculating jade orbs.

"The dress—you wear it well…although a bit too _carelessly_ for my liking."

She blinked owlishly but said nothing.

His fingers curled then, the tips of them kneading into the flesh of her exposed back as his face drew closer to hers, eyes unflinching as if to prove a point. "There are _few_ men who would be capable of keeping their eyes off of you, dressed as you are—even fewer would be prudent enough to keep their hands to themselves."

Her body shuddered and she hadn't the presence of mind to suppress it; not right now, not with the way he was holding her…

So close,

His hands touching her so openly and brazenly—as if he took pride in an assumed right to be possessive.

Floundering for something significant to say, her mind drew up empty save for, "T-There is nothing wrong with this d-dress I don't think—it barely shows anything, Gaara-sama—I d-don't see how it matters to you at any rate or—why you would even notice something so frivolous?"

The hand at her back suddenly stiffened and then curled around her hip in that all-too-familiar possessive hold of his and this time, his impassive expression broke and he growled through gritted teeth as he buried his face against her neck.

"It _matters._ I _notice_ because I am an observant man; more than that, I am a shinobi and the Kazekage of Suna; I will not tolerate any coveting what is _**mine."**_

 __Matsuri balked at that; was… _was Gaara-sama jealous?!_ __

He dragged his lips across her shoulder, choosing to leave a bite mark just below her collarbone before licking a fiery trail up her throat to her cheek.

Oddly, when his tongue flicked out once again—licking a trail from the base of her cheek up to her temple, she didn't shudder away from it. Yes, it had been perhaps the strangest display of affection from him and even still, one she'd never even heard of before but something about it seemed so distinctly Gaara—the unique carelessness in the gesture and even the element of animalistic instinct, somehow struck Matsuri as both erotic and incredibly endearing.

"Mmm…you taste good." He murmured absently, causing her face to instantly erupt in flames and she let out an astonished 'eep!'.

"Umm…G-Gaara-sensei, you s-shouldn't be here I m-mean Temari-sama might—"

He licked the corner of her mouth, curious jade eyes meeting hers as he then licked his own lips, as if to relish the flavor of her skin.

She watched him, hypnotized.

Her knees grew weak.

"G-Gaara, please, I…"

He silenced her with a wet, hungry kiss, the sound of their lips separating and rejoining, echoed in the stillness of the empty apartment.

"If you want me—to leave, then I cannot rightly refuse you—however, I…I simply can't just…"

His words failed him, his eyes almost pleading as he met her hesitant gaze. "You ask me to _stop,_ as if that would be so simple; you say I should _leave,_ yet I see something in your eyes that says you want otherwise. Please explain this to me because I am confused."

She couldn't help but smile a little forlornly at him; the poor man was trying so hard to figure out his own emotions, while at the same time also attempting to decipher hers…yet here she was giving him mixed signals?

She could have smacked herself for being so thoughtless; he would likely think she had no interest in him and was simply placating him to buy herself enough time until he would finally leave her in peace.

How foolish they both had been; to think that that could have been even remotely close to the truth.

Without thinking, she reached up a hand and ruffled his hair before letting her fingers slip down the side of his face and rest against his cheek.

"Whatever you may be thinking…whatever thoughts of me not wanting you here, or simply tolerating you…banish them from your mind. None of it is true, Sensei and I'm…sorry if I have made you think so."

He was silent for a long moment before leaning into her touch and placing a soft kiss to her wrist. "I apologize that most of this and what it means, still eludes me, Matsuri; I know that…it cannot always be easy for you…worrying about what I may be thinking or what unknown feeling or thought resides behind my actions."

"You are trying your best, Sensei…" She reassured him, resting her head on his shoulder and breathing in his welcoming scent. "I have no right nor any desire to judge you. I never have, you know that."

Her soft curves pressing against him so secure and warm, brought a kind of weakness to the Kazekage's body and he shuddered and sighed all in one breath before engulfing this enchanting woman in his arms. "I do. And I have always been and will always be, so very grateful to you, Matsuri."

There was a rare warmth and depth to his voice that sent warmth spreading through her entire being and she snuggled deeper into his embrace before tilting her head up and placing a kiss on the tip of his chin.

She smiled prettily, sweetly.

"No need to thank me, I have always cherished you after all."

He was breathless, could think of nothing to say in the wake of her admission and so, he simply stared into her eyes.

"Temari-sama will be leaving Shikamaru's soon; you should go, Gaara-sama, at least before she gets too close."

He knew she was right, that it was probably best under the circumstances but a part of him still could not see how Temari knowing of their present relationship, would be such a bad thing…

Was it because he was Kazekage and Matsuri, his former student?

But 'former' meant 'no longer' in which case, that should no longer be an issue, concerning their present situation…should it?

He was confused. About so many things, it gave him a headache.

Yet, he was _so very certain_ about other things, his determination so unshakeable that he wished he could just simply send the rest of it to hell and have no further worries.

His eyes met hers again and he simply nodded, deciding it was best to relent. For now.

One thing was for certain, his connection with Matsuri was unquestionable; what he felt for her was strong and deep and fierce and real and if nothing else made sense, being with her, wanting her and _needing_ her would always be an indisputable fact.

Of this, he was sure, regardless of her own fears of Temari's or anyone else's opinion— _to hell with them all_ he thought; only one thing mattered and it would always be _her._

A rare smile graced the impassive countenance of the young Kazekage as he once again ducked out the window, bidding his lover farewell with an ardent, hungry kiss.

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 _ **Ooooookay, guys time to give me your thoughts on this one and what you wish to come?! Reviews!**_


	22. Ever After?

_**A/N: This is grotesquely late, I know and I apologize! A lot of changes are happening in life right now; we're expecting our second baby among other things so unfortunately, I cannot promise you guys that my updates will be very frequent. What I CAN promise you is that I AM NOT ABANDONING THIS STORY! I have EVERY intention of completing it so please keep following this and just be patient!**_

 _ **Review, Review! If you have any requests as far as plot ideas/scenes that you would like to see, let me know in your reviews and if I can, I'll be sure to incorporate them into coming chapters!**_

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 _ **Chapter 22-Ever After?**_

 _ **Two Days Later…**_

It was an hour before the wedding ceremony was to begin, when Matsuri found herself in the bridal suite trying to talk down a very over-anxious Temari.

Somehow between the dress fitting and hair & Makeup, the older blonde woman had suddenly got it into her head that she could be making a mistake.

It wasn't the 'getting married' she had second thoughts about, nor even the particular person she was getting married to…but she _was_ debating on whether or not said man really realized what he was getting himself into and if it had suddenly hit him that _**he**_ in fact was the one making a terrible mistake!

With Emerald green chiffon billowing about her gorgeous figure, hair in extravagant plaits atop her head and makeup flawlessly in place, Matsuri stood before the restless, pacing bride and listened to her rant.

At the end of it, she took immediate action and placed firm yet placating hands on Temari's shoulders. "Temari. I understand that you are beyond-nervous, it's a very normal reaction but you need to calm. The fuck. Down! Do you have any idea how absurd you sound?! How long have you known Shikamaru?"

"Seven years." The blonde answered quietly, catching her bottom lip between her teeth in a self-conscious gesture.

"Seven years. Okay, that's—a _**very. Long. Time!"**_ Plenty long enough for him to know exactly the kind of woman you are and I can guarantee you, he's had plenty of time to analyze, over-analyze and strategize for EVERY. POSSIBLE. OUTCOME FOR THIS. Honey, he _**wants you. You. Not Ino, not Sakura or any of the other 'ordinary girls' out there. You.**_ Why? Because you are exquisite! You're brave, strong, gorgeous and hella DEADLY and it is those things about you that have turned Shikamaru's head like no other. You wouldn't believe how many girls are actually jealous of you because YOU managed to catch the eye AND the heart of the laziest most uncaring-yet-genius Leaf ninja and you didn't even try!"

By now, Temari's face had split into a wide smile as emerald eyes uncharacteristically filled with tears.

Damn it, all this wedding and marriage stuff had her growing soft!

"Okay, Okay shut up, I get it." She huffed out a bit of a laugh, sniffling and forcing back the tears before straightening her back and squaring her shoulders.

"So you good? Can we get your hair and makeup finished now?"

Both women burst out laughing, easing the remaining tension in the room and Matsuri called Hinata from the other room who promptly resumed the completion of Temari's hair and makeup.

There was a knock from the outer door and Matsuri left to answer. Catching sight of Kankuro's paint-free expression and wildly coiffed brown hair, she cocked a brow and stepped outside with him.

"Dang woman! You look hot!"

The dark-eyed woman could only scoff and roll her eyes. "Honestly Kankuro, don't tell me you came all this way just to tell me that?"

"Nah of course not! I was just letting you know that we've got about thirty minutes before we're supposed to start so us guys are gonna be heading over soon to get you girls so we can head for the lineup."

"Right, of course, okay good I'll let Temari, Ino and Hinata know. We're all ready anyway, Hinata's just putting the final touchups on your sister." At that moment, Ino peaked her head out the door and let them know Temari was ready.

They both nodded and after a few more words were exchanged, Kankuro excused himself and went to find Sakura who was in charge of the order of ceremony and procession.

Ten minutes before the start of the ceremony, everyone was seated in a grassy field overlooking a particular hill that held a significant meaning for the groom and his bride. It was the place that Shikamaru often spent many-a-day cloud watching and consequently, it was also the same place where they'd shared their first date, and where he had asked Temari to marry him.

White chairs were seated in a semi-circle around a beautifully rustic four poster archway that was situated at the top of the slightly-cresting slope. Simple yet elegant linen drapes adorned the birch wood arch along with strings of delicate beads and trinkets intermixed.

The isle was simple as well—nothing more than a narrow, white sheet laid out upon the ground, speckled with petals and intricate swirls of sand—a unique creation courtesy of Gaara himself.

As Naruto stood atop the small hill, Kage robes billowing around him in the soft breeze, the first strains of music started and the bridesmaids along with their escorts, began the slow and steady march.

The order was simple—Gaara and Hinata first, the Ino and Choji and lastly, Kankuro and Matsuri bringing up the rear.

Once Gaara and Hinata were in place on either side of Naruto, Ino and Choji took their turn.

As Matsuri stood beside Kankuro, awaiting their turn, a kind of anxious excitement bubbled up within her when her eyes strayed to the slightly distant figure of the Kazekage. He himself was adorned in his stately robes and made quite the regal picture standing tall and proud beside Naruto at the crest of the hill.

"Hey, you nervous Mat? You're shaking."

Kankuro's hushed, baritone voice broke into her thoughts and the brunette woman shook her head lightly. "I guess I'm feeling a little anxious about walking out there in front of all those people, yeah. I mean I know you'll escort me to the entrance but then you need to come back for Temari s-so I—I'll be walking pretty much the whole way by myself."

A teasing chuckle rumbled in the puppeteer's chest and he squeezed her hand. "You'll be fine, Matsuri; you've always been confident and poised, even when you don't feel that you are."

She turned, looked up at him and returned his comforting smile with a soft one of her own before the music changed, signaling it was their turn.

Kankuro walked her as far as the start of the isle before wishing her luck and then turning around to fetch Temari.

Now alone, Matsuri squared her shoulders, took a deep breath and waited for Sakura's cue.

In the next second, the rosette turned bright green eyes in her direction and gave her a firm nod.

Matsuri nodded in return and gathering her courage, gripped her bouquet, took a breath and put one foot in front of the other.

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 _ **Ahhhh! Kinda a cliffie I know but I couldn't help it! Plus, my battery is almost out so I needs to fetch my laptop charger and plug in! Hope you like this one and don't worry, the next one is coming very soon!**_


	23. Keep Me Awake

_**A/N: I hope this next chap makes you all happy! Also, please look up the song "Awake" by Josh Groban and listen to it—this is the one sung as Temari walks down the aisle so it would just add a really nice mood to the story! Review, Review!**_

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 _Chapter 23-Keep Me Awake_

Gaara's eyes were fixed on the Isle entrance when he caught sight of demure doe-like eyes and flowing emerald.

Jaded orbs widened and the Kazekage actually gasped.

He could hardly believe his eyes; Matsuri…she was… _breathtaking!_ With chestnut brown hair piled high in softly plaited layers and golden brown skin aglow in the light of the early afternoon sun, she was a striking vision in emerald green as she floated gracefully down the aisle. She took her place beside Hinata—her eyes catching his for a brief moment before averting to the floor, cheeks tinged red.

The redhead's lips twitched into a modest smirk.

Just then, Naruto took microphone in hand. "On Behalf of Temari and Shikamaru, thank you all so much for joining us and them in this celebration. However, the bride and groom would like to request—instead of the traditional rise to your feet—that you would please remain seated at the entrance of the bride."

With that, he turned and handed the microphone off to Matsuri with soft smile and nod.

Gaara's brows furrowed in curiosity as Matsuri stepped up on the little podium situated at the corner of the small stage, and piano music began to drift whimsically from the speakers.

Cupid bow-shaped lips parted and she began to sing:

 _ **A beautiful and blinding morning**_

 _ **The world outside begins to breathe**_

 _ **See clouds arriving without warning**_

 _ **I need you here to shelter me**_

The redhead's heart stopped and the ability to breathe escaped him as jaded eyes transfixed upon the dark-eyed brunette who seemed to cast her enchanting spell over all those present as her clear, melodic voice rang out over the gathered crowd.

Shikamaru and Temari couldn't tear their eyes from each other and as Matsuri continued to sing the poignant, meaningful lyrics, Shikamaru covered his face with his hand in an attempt to hide the tears that suddenly sprang to his eyes.

When he'd composed himself enough, he looked up and once again locked gazes with his bride.

Tears still glistened in his eyes but he smiled in spite of it and watched in mild astonishment as Temari's composure faltered and she too smiled through glistening tears.

 _ **And I know that only time will tell us how**_

 _ **To carry on without each other**_

 _ **So keep me awake to memorize you**_

 _ **Give me more time to feel this way**_

 _ **We can't stay like this forever**_

 _ **But I can have you next to me today**_

As the music flowed—the bride drawing ever near to her betrothed—not a single eye was left dry as each person present was drawn into the overwhelming tenderness and depth of the moment.

As Temari and Kankuro drew nearer, Matsuri slowly turned so that she now faced the bride and groom as they finally met at the altar.

The look of utter happiness in Temari's eyes brought a few tears of joy to her own eyes but the brunette maintained composure and her voice remained steady.

 _ **We'll let tomorrow wait**_

 _ **You're here right now with me**_

Dark eyes locked with Jade orbs as the song climaxed and for a moment, both Matsuri and Gaara felt their hearts constrict almost painfully as the words Matsuri sung, reached to the very depths of their being.

 _ **And all my fears just fall away**_

 _ **When you are all I see**_

 _ **We can't stay like this forever**_

 _ **But I have you here today…**_

 _ **We will remember**_

 _ **Oh, we will remember**_

 _ **Remember all the love we shared today**_

The last notes of the song faded away as Matsuri stepped down and stepped forward to embrace the bride and groom.

When she stepped back into place, the applause quieted and Naruto raised his hands to address the congregation.

Naruto's words were simple but filled with depth and conviction as he spoke about Love, loyalty, honesty and the strength of will and heart two people possess when they vow to commit themselves wholly and completely to each other.

He spoke about the life of a Shinobi and how so very often, few people from this walk of life are fortunate enough to find that one person that links them to this earth like no other; that one heart and soul that call out to your own in such desperation, it is impossible to continue on through life without them.

The congregation listened in rapt attention, hanging on the young Hokage's every word and when he came to the end of his speech, he turned smiling sky blue eyes to the bride and groom.

"When Shikamaru first met Temari, he told me she was 'the most troublesome woman' he'd ever met."

A chorus of laughter rippled through the crowd as the bride rolled her eyes, playfully back-handing her groom in the chest.

"And when I first asked Temari what her impression was of Shikamaru, she promptly told me 'he's the laziest ass of a ninja I've ever met in my life! How the hell _**he**_ ended up being promoted Chunin, is beyond me."

A louder chorus of laughter rippled through the congregation as Shikamaru glared at his soon-to-be-wife, yet fully unable to suppress the rakish smirk that split across his face.

Matsuri shook her head, biting back a laugh while catching Gaara's eyes at the same time as they shared a mutual look.

"But for some reason, the two struck up an unlikely friendship and the weeks and months turned into years, Shikamaru and Temari found themselves working together on quite a few missions—in which Shikamaru saved Temari's life twice while she—and I'm quoting him here—repeatedly saved his ass more times than he could ever count."

Temari actually blushed at this comment and Shikamaru's grin widened as he squeezed her hand lovingly.

"It wasn't until three months before the Fourth Great War…that Shikamaru first realized he was falling in love with the troublesome and infuriatingly beautiful fan wielder. Temari had apparently been approached by a rather-persistent suitor who stated his intentions of speaking to her brother and asking him for her hand.

Shikamaru witnessed the _**entire**_ conversation, of course."

Various murmurs and snickers of laughter were heard whispering through the crowd and even Gaara couldn't help but chuckle at the memory.

"When he strategically inquired about the matter later that evening, Temari of course did NOT respond the way he'd hoped…

The two argued. Heatedly." Naruto snickered as he continued.

I remember Temari telling me how frustrating it was to have Shikamaru 'cross-examining' her so thoroughly about this guy—'I couldn't believe how testy he got with me; it's like the guy was on his man period or something'."

Temari couldn't help herself and burst out laughing at that moment.

"When I found Shikamaru just hours after the fight—Temari wasn't talking to him apparently—I'll never forget what he said to me, as he paced angrily, hands running furiously through 'pineapple' hair. 'I told you she was the most troublesome woman I'd ever met…and I was right; she's gone and made me fall so madly in love with her, I can't stand it when any sweet-talking bastard gets within five feet of her, she's _**mine**_ damn it!.'"

Laughter mixed with exclamations of 'awe' filled the crowd and Shikamaru uttered a very demanding "Damn straight, she's mine." Which incurred a very amused bride who eyed him critically, smirking deviously all the while.

"Now it wasn't until nearly the end of the war—that Temari realized she in turn…loved Shikamaru…that moment came when Shikamaru laid dying in the arms of his comrades; Sakura fighting tooth and nail to save him while everyone else—including Temari—stood by in tears."

A sort of melancholy quiet fell over the gathering as the memory of that day and moment, settled upon each person there.

Temari sniffled.

Shikamaru's jaw clenched.

Naruto's eyes darkened.

"Though Sakura fought for all she was worth, it appeared that Shikamaru had prepared himself to face the seemingly inevitable. He could barely speak as he struggled to meet the faces of his friends…in a final farewell. But Temari would have none of it. Falling on her knees at his side, she glared daggers at the shadow user and in the characteristically harsh, brazen way that only she has, forbid Shikamaru from giving up. 'Now you listen to me, Dumbass, you. Are not going _**anywhere**_ unless _**I say so!**_ '"

The heavy mood lightened a few smiles returned to the faces of those gathered, including the bride and groom as they once again locked eyes with one another.

"Shikamaru's response was a poor excuse of a smile as he touched shaking fingers to Temari's cheek. She gripped his hand in turn, so strongly that Shikamaru would tell me later, he was certain she'd just broken all of his fingers."

Soft laughter restored the joy of the wedding guests and Naruto smiled warmly, meeting the eyes of every person present before resting a look on both Shikamaru and Temari as he concluded. "From that moment on, Shikamaru held onto Temari as though his life depended on it. And to this day, Temari has never let go."

Tears filled Matsuri's eyes as she joined the congregation in a chorus of enthusiastic applause. A simple exchange of vows followed right after and once the exchanging of the rings took place, Naruto presented the couple to the cheering throng, holding up his arms in a gesture of blessing over their union. "It is my great honor as the 7th Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Nara Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru embraced his bride, catching her by surprise as he dipped her back and claimed her lips in a deep, lingering kiss.

Cheers erupted once again and soon, the bridal party marched back up the aisle and the crowd was dismissed to greet the newly wedded bride and groom at the entrance.

So many smiles, tears of joy and blessings were showered upon the young couple and as Matsuri observed the joyous scene, her face lit up in a radiant smile.

"So. I suppose what they refer to as "ever after" _**does**_ exist, after all."

The deep tenor came from her right and she looked up to see the profile of a prodigiously _**smiling**_ redhead.

It wasn't an impish smirk like Kankuro or one of those blinding grins that was so synonymous with Naruto; the soft yet charismatic quality of it, left Matsuri speechless and her cheeks stained a shade of red almost as vibrant as his hair as she stared up at him in awe.

Just then, his jade orbs met hers and the smile deepened as though its owner were conveying a hidden message just for her eyes to see.

Her cheeks flushed brighter as her lips curved into a sweet, bashful smile. "Why yes, I suppose it does."


	24. Jealousy-Unease & resentment of a rival

_A/N: Okay hold onto your seats guys because much more angst and drama is coming your way!_

 _You've been warned…O.o_

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 _Chapter 24-Jealousy_ _—1. Mental unease and/or resentment against a rival_

Matsuri nibbled on a delicious piece of strawberry-flavored glazed dango, humming in existential delight.

As she gazed around the ornately decorated reception hall, a giddiness and excitement swept over. It had all gone so perfectly; the ceremony went off flawlessly and now, the guests were twirling on the dance floor and enjoying the endless all-you-can-eat buffet comprised of the most decadent, extravagant delicacies of Konoha and Suna alike.

"Okay here we go!"

She glanced up, letting out a sigh of relief as Kankuro arrived with drinks in hand.

"You are a benevolent prince, thank you!" She exclaimed merrily, taking the tall Strawberry Daiquiri from his hand and relishing a long sip.

Kankuro snorted humorously. "Better not let Gaara hear you say that."

Tasting the sweet nectar of her drink, Matsuri hummed in ecstasy. "Ohooo that hits the spot." She smacked her lips together as she settled back comfortably in her seat, eyes lazily scanning the hall of wedding guests.

Settling in his seat next to her, he looked around, brows furrowing curiously. "So where's the rest of the party?"

"Mmm, Temari and Shika are mingling with the guests, Ino's keeping an eye on Choji at the buffet and I think Gaara-sama is speaking with Naruto?"

Kankuro nodded, taking a pull of his whiskey before his dark eyes caught sight of his little brother halfway across the room.

He'd been in some sort of serious conversation with Naruto when a pink-haired Kunoichi clad in green silk, approached the men. She threw a playful punch into Naruto's shoulder, smirking at his exaggerated show of pain, before turning her attention to the stoic redheaded Kazekage. Suddenly, her demeanor seemed to pull a 180 as her boisterous exuberance mellowed into a more demure kind of charm as she greeted the Kazekage with a polite bow, modest smile…and pretty blush.

The puppeteer cocked a questioning eyebrow as he continued to observe the pair. It seemed that whatever the medic nin was discussing with his brother didn't much interest the blond-haired Hokage who had excused himself shortly after, presumably to search out a particular dark-haired heiress.

At the moment, Sakura was talking animatedly, her hands making sweeping gestures as her green eyes sparkled with excitement.

Kankuro watched Gaara's reaction closely and was actually quite surprised when his brother nodded politely—even letting his cool, collected exterior break into the tiniest of smiles.

The rosette drew more than a few eyes when her voice broke out into a strain of vibrant giggles as she briefly laid a hand on Gaara's arm, grinning widely at his response.

Kankuro's nose scrunched in mild annoyance. "O—kay, that's weird."

"Hm? What is?" Matsuri had been absorbed in watching Temari and Shikamaru mingling at a nearby table.

Gesturing with the hand that held his drink, Kankuro indicated the pair across the way—Sakura was now munching on a piece of desert and seemed determined that Gaara have a taste as she cut off a small corner piece and held it out to him.

"I mean just look at her! She's all smiles and joking with Gaara like their old friends or something; it's just odd to me I guess; I mean I get that this is a celebration and all and we're technically on vacation but—he's still the Kazekage of Suna and Sakura doesn't really know him all that well—it just seems like she's being—awfully casual."

Kankuro wasn't upset by it exactly but something about the way the pinkette conducted herself around his brother, just seemed off to him, he couldn't figure out why.

"O-Oh. Well I mean she _is_ Naruto's best friend…" Matsuri commented carefully, her dark eyes suddenly glued to the conversing pair. "…maybe she feels c-close to Gaara by association, ya know? Kinda like how I feel with Shikamaru because of Temari."

She glanced down at her Daiquiri, stirring it absently with her straw as she tried to appear disinterested in Gaara's conversation with Sakura.

But the brunette puppeteer wasn't at all fooled and he caught the shadow of discomfort flickering in her dark eyes as she avoided the pair at all costs.

Sliding his chair a little closer to hers, he leaned forward and nudged her with his knee. "Hey, look. She can smile and charm and flirt all she wants…that doesn't mean he'll smile and flirt back though."

Matsuri sighed but her eyes met his and she couldn't help but feel a little better when met with Kankuro's boyish smirk.

She nudged him back. "Thanks Kankuro. But really, it's okay I mean it's not like-"

"Ah, Matsuri!" The two glanced up to see Ino hurrying towards them in a flurry. "Temari needs the lady's room. Like _bad_ but she needs help with the dress."

A bit of weight lifted from Matsuri's shoulders; here was a perfect opportunity to distract herself from booding thoughts! "Ah yes, right!" glancing at Kankuro, she forced a bright smile as she stood to her feet and stretched. "Well, duty calls, I must obey!" And with that, she followed Ino across the wide hall to where the bride was currently fidgeting near the entrance that lead off to the restrooms.

The girls waved to her, passing by Sakura and the Kazekage on their way.

"Oh Matsuri, hello! I hadn't had a chance to see you since the ceremony!" Sakura greeted the younger woman, smiling genially. "By the way you're performances was—wow—I was amazed, I didn't know you could sing, it was beautiful!"

Attempting to gather her conflicting thoughts, the brunette managed a pleasant enough smile as she nodded to Sakura. "Thank you, I appreciate that, and not many people do know that about me…" She could feel jade eyes trained on her in intense interest. "—it's actually something I tend to keep to myself. But Temari requested and she's my best friend so of course, I was happy to. I'm sorry I don't mean to cut this short but Temari needs to freshen up…excuse me."

With that, the brunette gave a final polite nod—not fully meeting the Kazekage's intense gaze—and turned on her heel, hurrying off to help the other bridesmaids in assisting Temari.

# # # #

The brunette was still looking over her shoulder as she left the bathroom, laughing at a comment from one of the other girls, when she smacked into something solid.

"Oaf!" Matsuri stumbled, desperately attempting to catch her footing when a pair of warm, strong hands gripped her upper arms, steading her.

She caught crimson and jade in her peripheral vision and instantly straightened, fixing her eyes somewhere over the man's shoulder. "Sorry Gaara-sama, excuse my clumsiness."

She went to side-step him, only to feel a light pressure where his hands still held her arms.

"Are you alright, Matsuri?" He inquired coolly.

Not fully meeting his eyes, she nodded, brushing back some stray tendrils of chestnut hair from her forehead. "Yes, I was just overhearing something Ino was saying as I walked out, and I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"Hmm. It seems you've been rather distracted as of late." He commented off-handedly, jade orbs expressionless as he looked down at her.

His toneless voice and indifferent manner unsettled her and her lips pulled into a straight line. "Just enjoying the celebration—uh, excuse me." Moving to walk passed him yet again, she made just about halfway before he caught her by the wrist and his stoic expression changed.

"Is something wrong?" He asked. Seafoam eyes flickering with a curious kind of confusion accentuated by his furrowed brow.

"I—n-no there's nothing. Why would you think so?"

Jade eyes narrowed marginally as he tilted his head, scrutinizing her face closely. "You don't seem to have much to say to me…and you have made it a point to avoid looking me in the eye which is only something you tend to do when you're keeping something from me."

She bit her lip, cursing inwardly.

Damn his skillfully perceptive mind.

"I just—well you've been very busy with the guests, understandably; I just haven't wanted to i-interrupt or disturb you, that's all."

Gaara observed her closely. Something about her explanation bothered him; the intonation of her voice and the underlying inflections were just… _ **off.**_ Hooking a finger under her chin, he tilted her face upwards till her eyes had no choice but to rest on his. "What is it that you are not saying, Matsuri?"

Her dark eyes dimmed and she turned her face out of his grasp. "Please, Gaara-sama…now isn't the time and besides…y-you have guests who are…still waiting for you." Her gaze couldn't help but flicker to the pinkette who—though conversing pleasantly with Ino and Choji, kept flickering her eyes in Gaara's direction every few minutes.

It was obvious.

She was clearly taken with the young Kazekage, at least to the point where she wanted to continue speaking with him and for Matsuri, it was both painful and awkward—she felt like every moment Gaara spent speaking to her, was a moment she was intruding on his time with his friends and colleagues… _ **or potential romantic interests…**_

The redhead caught where her gaze was focused and upon seeing the object, he furrowed his brow in bewilderment.

Sakura Haruno?

What on earth could _**she**_ have to do with anything?

"I'm sorry but I am confused; just what does Haruno-san have to do with any of this?"

His genuine curiosity only served to further drive the already sharp, painful thorn, deeper into Matsuri's heart—of course he was clueless; another woman was clearly interested in his attention and company and he was so blinded to it, he didn't even realize that he'd shown an interest in return.

She'd never seen him smile the way he had with someone he barely knew. Sure, he'd smiled around her but that was different—they had years of history between them where she'd worked tirelessly in an effort to gain Gaara's trust and get him to open up to her.

Sakura seemed to achieve that in a matter of moments only…

Was Gaara really so easily engaged by a woman like her? Was there something about the pink haired, green-eyed medic nin that ensnared his not-easily-attained interest?

"She's clearly taken with you. That is, she clearly enjoys your company and it's obvious she wants to talk to you again."

Gaara's eyes snapped to Sakura once before returned to Matsuri whose expression was strained and uneasy.

"Matsuri, are you ill?" He asked, touching the back of his hand to her suddenly pale cheek.

The petite woman gasped and her cheeks instantly flushed red as she pushed his hand away. "No, don't Gaara-sama!" She hissed, tone subdued. "We're in public. People will see and ask questions."

She pushed passed him then, desperate to escape his presence and go somewhere where she could breathe.

Sand coiled around her wrist, startling her retreat as black eyes widened and snapped to the suddenly intense face of the redhead who was already half-way in persuit of her. "I—I don't understand." He admitted in bewilderment. "Come with me then. Come with me somewhere where no one will see." He murmured huskily, pools of seafoam suddenly pleading as he beckoned her to follow him.

A large part of her ached to throw caution to the wind and just let him take her wherever he desired…but that part of her was overridden by an overly-analytical mind that still battled with conflicting emotions of jealousy.

The Kazekage was about to press further when Ino appeared out of nowhere, alerting them that the bride and groom were ready to cut the cake.

He repressed the urge to scowl indignantly and settled for a curt nod in response.

Matsuri let out a shaky breath before pulling away from him and going to stand with the rest of the bridal party who were gathered around the towering six-layer white chocolate wedding cake.

Gaara stood on the other side of the group with Hinata, Ino and Choji, his jade eyes never leaving Matsuri's face during the entire affair.

The brunette could feel the intensity of his gaze burning into her and a chance glance in his direction was enough to read the blatant message in his eyes; _"We're not finished talking."_

Her heart clenched painfully as Onyx eyes tore away from him and forcibly focused on the jubilant bride and groom.

Temari smeared the icing all over Shikamaru's mouth and chin, cackling evilly.

Shikamaru snickered in response...he palmed cake and icing smack in her face.

The crowd gasped.

Temari screeched.

Then the room erupted in laughter as the simpering groom proceeded to lick ever last bit of cake and icing from his wife's face…paying particularly close attention to the area around her mouth and chin.

Matsuri giggled uncontrollably, more than a little surprised that Temari hadn't kicked his ass yet…but then with the way he was licking her face like a love-sick puppy, she supposed it would be extremely difficult for anyone to be angry after that.

Soon, everyone had been served a piece and Matsuri—along with the other two bridesmaids—retired to the bridal party's table to jealousy enjoy their sinful desert.

At length, music began to filter in from the DJ and gradually, couples took to the dance floor once again as the lyrics to a beautifully haunting song began:

 _ **You were a passing bird**_

 _ **And I don't know why**_

 _ **I got used to you everyday more**_

 _ **We both invented the adventure of love**_

 _ **You filled my life**_

 _ **And then I saw you go**_

 _ **Without a goodbye**_

 _ **I saw you go**_

 __"Matsuri-san, may I have this dance?"

The brunette was surprised to see the dark-haired Uchiha standing before her, lightly bowed at the waist with his hand held out to her.

Recovering quickly, she was about to answer when another commanding voice cut her off.

"I'm afraid I have already laid claim to Miss Hajime's first dance."

Both turned to see Gaara approaching briskly from halfway across the room, blood red robes billowing behind him as he brushed past the stiffening Uchiha and stood before Matsuri.

She gazed up into his jaded eyes searching for any sign of what occupied his thoughts just then.

He held out his hand, lips twitching into a subtly warm smile that made her breath catch and her heart ache.

"Dance with me, Matsuri?"

Her cheeks flushed but her expression remained neutral. "Of course, Kazekage-sama."

As he lead her out onto the dance floor, he twirled her once before pulling her into his arms, one hand grasping hers while the other rested…a bit possessively…against her hip.

 _ **I want to look for my way in your open hands**_

 _ **And that you feel like a woman only with me**_

"What are you thinking?" His husky voice tickled the shell of her ear when he bowed his head to murmur close to her, but she repressed the urge to shiver.

"Honestly? That I'm a little surprised that you dance. I didn't know you could."

 _ **I have a desire for you today**_

 _ **I have a desire for you today**_

Gaara actually chuckled at that, the sound rumbling deep in his chest and surprising the woman in his arms. "I _**am the Kazekage,**_ Matsuri; such things as manners, etiquette and formal dancing were aspects of my Kage training that I was required to master."

The dark-eyed woman blushed in embarrassment. "O-of course, I should've guessed that would've been a significant part of your training. Silly of me." She bit lip to keep from babbling which is something she always tended to do when nervous.

Gods, she hated the habit.

Sensing the silence that had settled over them, she took a quick glance up at her partner, only to find that his face was significantly closer to hers than she had thought—only mere centimeters separated them and for the first time that night, Matsuri cursed the 3-inch heels that consequently brought her closer to his height of 5'11.

…He was so close….

His eyes…

His lips…

Dark eyes snapped to his mouth before tearing themselves away as their owner blushed furiously.

 _ **I want to end in your lips**_

 _ **The thirst of my soul**_

 _ **And to discover love together every morning**_

 _ **I have a desire for you today**_

 _ **I have a desire for you today**_

She could feel her body begin to tremble.

The hand at her waist suddenly shifted, sliding to the small of her back where it pressed intimately into her thinly-covered skin, scorching her trembling flesh with its mere presence.

She inhaled sharply.

His hand pressed her impossibly closer, nearly melding their bodies as one as he bowed his head and touched the corner of his mouth against her temple.

"Tell me…what you are thinking now?"

The seductive undertone in his voice caused a shiver to ripple through her body before she could even think to suppress it.

She's certain he felt it.

Gods, she was making a complete fool of herself, but she couldn't help it.

This man did things to her.

Things he was so impossibly blissfully ignorant of, it made it all the more impossible to ignore how she felt when she was with him—and it was worse when he touched her.

Every inch of her being was set on fire and there was absolutely nothing she could do to squelch the flame as it burned brighter and hotter.

"G-Gaara-sama please, you—you're so close, I…"

His arm snaked around her waist, anchoring her body more securely to his and he felt the embers of long-repressed passion and want, bursting to life in the very depths of his body.

He nearly shuddered and his grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly.

"It feels as though—I have been without your presence for ages."

She let out a shuddering breath, meeting his heated gaze with a wavering one of her own.

"Could you explain to me—why it is that you make me feel this way?"

She blushed furiously; she had no answer.

"Because when I am without you—it feels as though I am missing something…as if a part of myself was somehow incomplete."

"Gaara…" Her voice trembled and she couldn't bear to meet his eyes; her heart raced like a thousand winds.

"And then when I _**am with you,**_ my lungs fill with air and it feels like I'm taking a drink of water after centuries of nearly dying of thirst…"

His hot breath ghosted against her skin and she inhaled shakily, feeling weak in the knees when his eyes captured hers in an amorous stare.

Unable to withstand her prolonged silence, Gaara's forehead brushed feather-light against hers as he drank in the scent of her hair. "Matsuri…please…say something."

"I—"

"Gaara!"

The pair was interrupted by the arrival of a certain obnoxious blonde who seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he'd just intruded upon a very intimate moment.

Matsuri bit her lip, stepping back from Gaara and turning towards the blue-eyed Hokage.

"Hey sorry to bug you but could you do me a favor and dance with Sakura this next little bit? I promised her a dance but the some representatives from the Feudal Lord just arrived and I kinda have to make an appearance and greet them."

At the mention of Sakura's name, Matsuri instantly recoiled, knowing the moment between her and Gaara was permanently ruined. Casting a furtive glance to her redheaded Kazekage, his cool, collected exterior gave no indication that he was inconvenienced at this disruption and again, Matsuri felt a pang of hurt that he seemed perfectly indifferent that his time with her had been cut short.

 _ **There is nothing sadder than the pain and silence**_

 _ **Nothing more bitter than knowing that I lost you**_

 _ **Today I search in the night**_

 _ **For the sound of your voice**_

Before either of the men could comment, Matsuri nodded as amicably as she could to Naruto. "Of course, there's no trouble at all, Hokage-sama."

The redhead's attention snapped to the brunette at his side, invisible brows furrowing and pale lips pulling into a somewhat unpleasant frown as she made to excuse herself.

"Ah Matsuri I'm sorry, really I didn't mean to cut in on yours and Gaara's—"But the repentant Hokage was politely interrupted when the dark-eyed woman held up a hand and shook her head, offering a placating sort of smile.

"No really, there's no need; Uchiha-san had already offered me a dance,"

This had the blonde arching his brows in surprise and the redhead's expression pulling into a brief displeased scowl.

Matsuri didn't notice. "So it really works out just fine for Gaara-sama to dance with Haruno-san, I'm certain he's more than happy to."

As if by some magical summoning, Saskue himself appeared out of nowhere, nodding to both men and smirking pleasantly at the petite brunette he'd been eyeing all evening.

"Well, now that you are free, Miss Hajime…may I _again_ request this dance?"

Gaara's fists clenched at his sides till his knuckles bled white.

"Of course, Uchiha-san. Thank you." She laid her hand in his and in the next second, Matsuri was being whisked away from the stoic Kazekage whose hardened gaze burned holes into the unsuspecting Uchiha who was simply too engaged in his charming dance partner to care about anything else.

A bitter taste rose in the back of Gaara's throat and he clenched jaw, tearing his eyes away from the dancing pair.

"You know she was jealous."

His head snapped to the side to see Kankuro standing in Naruto's place, an all-knowing smirk plastered across his boyish features.

"Excuse me?"

Kankuro heaved an exasperated sigh. "When you were all chummy with Sakura; Matsuri and I saw her talking to you earlier and from what I could tell, she seemed… _ **quite enchanted."**_ He snickered, letting his eyes trail to his brother's profile, gauging his reaction.

"Haruno-san and I were simply discussing the aspects of Medical jutsu, how it is taught and implemented into real world situations. She has an extensive knowledge which our own medics seem to severely lack in several areas and I was simply asking her advice on the matter."

"Hmm." Kankuro gave a non-committal hum, directing his attention back to Matsuri who in spite of herself, seemed to be enjoying the Uchiha's quiet, yet charming company.

"I fail to see how such a conversation would have any bearing or effect on Matsuri—for her to be….jealous, as you put it."

"Tch. You don't even know what that means, do you?"

Gaara cast his brother a side-long glance but gave no answer.

"Geez, Gaara you are so clueless. Let me break it down for you. Sakura wasn't 'just talking to you about medical jutsu' she was smiling, laughing and gesturing passionately as she talked to you. Sure you can reason that her being a medical ninja means that she's automatically passionate about her work but for her to actually physically _**touch**_ you? To be so casual with you as if she's known you forever? That's a whole other matter, Bro. She clearly has a thing for you that goes wayyyy beyond medical jutsu and Matsuri saw it; she's a woman and women pick up on the vibes and body language of other women like it's a second nature."

Growing impatient with Kankuro's incessant babbling, Gaara let out a disgruntled growl and glared daggers at the older man. "Enough with your praddling, Kankuro, get to the point if you have one."

All humor faded from Kankuro's countenance and he eyed his brother seriously. "Whatever is going on between you and Matsuri is your business, not mine. But whatever it is, clearly it means a hell of a lot to her because seeing you with another woman vying for your attention, knocked the air right out of her and it hurt her. Bad. She's a hell of a Kunoichi and a damn good woman but when it comes to you, her self-confidence is shaky at best. She doesn't know what she should expect from you or even what she's _**allowed**_ to expect! You need to be careful, Gaara because if you're _**not**_ serious about her or if you don't even have the slightest hint of feelings for her, then you need to make it clear and cut her loose before she gets hurt."

Gaara's eyes were wide as he stared in shock at his brother.

The older man's words steadily sank in and after a long moment of deafening silence, Gaara's eyes drifted to where Matsuri was now being led off the dance floor by her dark-eyed companion.

"Are you saying…that Matsuri was _**jealous**_ of Haruno-san…because she is afraid of another woman possibly claiming my affections?"

Kankuro smirked triumphantly and clapped his brother on the back. "Ehh, see? There you go! I knew you weren't a complete idiot."

But Gaara's expression was grimly serious as addressed Kankuro. "Then that _**is**_ what you are saying. Matsuri does not wish for another woman to capture my attention…because she cares for me."

"Yeah, something like that." Kankuro couldn't keep the simpering smirk off his face as he watched his brother struggle to understand the infuriatingly confusing ways of the female mind. He knew it was cruel, but he couldn't help but rib on him whenever it came to emotions or matters of the heart. Gaara was so hilariously clueless that it was hands down, the easiest way to get under the redhead's skin and Kankuro took gleeful pleasure in annoying the living hell out of him.

Gaara was silent, brow furrowing just slightly as he pondered his brother's words.

Then, his head snapped up and his lips set in a firm line, determination hardening his gaze.

"I see. Thank you, Kankuro…if you would excuse me, I have something to attend to."

Not bothering to wait for an answer, the tall redhead turned on his heel and strode from the hall in search of a certain doe-eyed brunette.

Kankuro watched him go, a devious smirk playing on his features. "Anytime, little brother, anytime."

################################

 _ **Awww we got some MatsuriKankuro friendship fluff! I don't know why but those two just seem like they would be the perfect adopted brother/sister duo and that's why I put them sort of center-stage in this particular chapter. Plus, I think it's important that Matsuri has an established relationship with both of Gaara's siblings, considering they are the only other two people he trusts and his family. It's always nice when family approves of your love interest, hehehe!**_

 _ **And is there some future triangle angst to be had between Matsuri, Gaara and Sasuke?! Maybe, I really haven't considered making it a permanent fixture but more to offset the moment between Gaara and Sakura that made Matsuri jealous; I don't feel Gaara would really have understood how she felt, were it not for the fact that he sort of ended up on the receiving end of it later when Saskue asked her to dance.**_

 _ **Anyways, hope you all enjoyed! Again, I cannot promise frequent updates but I have no intentions of abandoning this story so have no fears and review as always!**_


	25. Faltering

**A/N: I'm apologizing in advance because I'm really struggling with writer's block on this one so please bear with me; if it's terrible well….yeah.**

 **###################################################**

 _Chapter 25-Faltering_

"Kakashi-san, I apologize but I must ask a favor."

The silver-haired jonin turned towards the approaching Kazekage, bowing in respect.

"Not at all, Kazekage-sama, I am pleased to assist you."

Gaara gave a curt nod in response and proceeded. "There is a matter of importance I must attend to and therefore, I'm unable to attend to Haruno-san for the next dance."

"Ah I understand; I'll handle it personally, Kazekage-sama."

"Thank you, Kakashi-san. If you'll excuse me." With that, the redhead whisked out of the hall, shoulders squared and jade eyes flashing in determination.

# # # #

Stepping carefully out of her bridesmaid dress, she laid it carefully on the back of a chair before taking up her long green silk bathrobe and pulling it over her shoulders.

It had been a long da—joyous—but long and after the discomfiting atmosphere at the reception, Matsuri was emotionally drained and worn to the bone. She was just about to pull out the pins holding her extravagant hairstyle in place, when there was a sudden knock on the door of her suite.

Furrowing her brows, she made doubly-certain her robe was securely tied around her waist, before answering the door.

It was probably one of the girls checking in on her.

Then she caught sight of unruly crimson hair and she froze.

"Matsuri."

She blinked owlishly, a look of utter surprise written on her face as she stared dumbfounded at the man standing at her door.

"G-Gaara-sama?"

The redhead's impassive expression gave away nothing but something in his jaded orbs heated and softened at the sight of the petite brunette before him.

"There is nothing between Sakura Haruno and myself." He blurted.

Taken aback, Matsuri shook her head in bewilderment. "…What?"

His tongue flicked out to moisten his lips before repeating himself. "There is nothing of significance between Haruno Sakura and myself; she has an extensive knowledge and experience in medical jutsu therefore, my sole reason in speaking with her was purely professional, nothing more."

"I…why are you telling me this?" She held the door between them, gazing up at him carefully.

"You were displeased with me earlier…" his sentence trailed off as his eyes shifted away from her and to the floor where his brows furrowed in concentration.

The feeling of uncertainty was vastly unsettling as it settled in the core of his being and his fingers clenched and unclenched as he worked to shake it off.

Sensing the redhead's growing discomfiture, a sharp twinge of guilt struck her and Matsuri reached out a tentative hand, touching his arm briefly. "I'm sorry, Gaara-sama I shouldn't have behaved so, it wasn't your fault, I was tired and—"

Her lips continued to move but he could no longer hear the words as his sharp jeweled orbs snapped to the dainty fingers that were lightly curled around his forearm.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his skin began to tingle as mini electric shocks coiled and shot down the length of his spine.

Suddenly he was very aware of the woman before him; their close proximity prickled his senses, causing the heat of his body to coil and extend towards her, licking hungrily at the sweet and sensual warmth her own body was emitting.

He felt dizzy.

Deliciously light-headed and instinctively, took a step towards her.

The air was suddenly charged between them, bringing Matsuri's rambling to a screeching halt and dark, as her dark doe eyes clashed widely with molten jade.

She lost her breath and her hand suddenly recoiled from him like she'd been burned.

But Gaara's reflexes were twice as fast as hers and a strong, pale hand snapped up, catching her wrist in mid-air.

She startled at his sudden movement, gasping before once again meeting his eyes with a wide-eyed gaze.

"K-Kazekage-sama…?" Her voice was a soft murmur in the darkness as she cautiously regarded the intensely silent man before her.

"You have _no reason_ to worry; Haruno Sakura could never hold even a fragment of my affections, Matsuri…nor could any other woman for that matter. I respect her as a fellow ninja, as well as an exceptional kunoichi and Naruto's best friend…but that is all. That is all it _ever will be."_

Dark rimmed jade eyes bored intensely into hers as his grip on her lessened ever so slightly and the tips of his calloused fingers massaged gentle, absent-minded circles into the skin of her wrist.

Matsuri was embarrassed, flattered and utterly speechless! What could she say after such a valiant speech like that? She couldn't even form a coherent thought with him looking at her like that and…touching her like _that…_

What could she possibly do?!

"Gaara-s-sama I—I don't think—you d-don't owe me an e-explanation, really I don't—I was just being silly, really."

Her black eyes shifted everywhere else but his face and he frowned. "Woman, stop lying to me." He sharply admonished, startling her into an abrupt silence.

She coward in shame. "S-sorry, I just—I feel so _foolish_." Tears of humiliation pricked the corners of her eyes and she hid her face from him. "I j-just don't know w-what to think, I'm s-so confused I—what I feel when it comes to you—us—it's just so scary because I don't f-feel like I have the right to e-expect anything and yet I c-can't stop myself from feeling frustrated, anxious and then when I saw her…and you, I don't know I j-just…"

The tears overflowed, leaving hot, angry trails down her sun-kissed cheeks before she felt a warm, calloused hand cupping her cheek and a tug on her wrist.

Shimmering black eyes met warm jade and her lips parted with a trembling gasp.

He looked deeply into her eyes, his heart clenching at the pain, fear and uncertainty he saw there.

"Come here." He murmured in a deep, smoky voice as he pulled the slightly trembling woman into the shelter of his arms.

She let out a shaky breath, inhaling his familiar scent of sand and incense, before the warmth of his chest and the strong press of his arms around her, shattered the last fragments of her repose.

Fingers curled into the front of his robes as her face crumbled and she dissolved into tears.


	26. Surrender

_Chapter 26-Surrender_

She struggled to quiet her sobs but it was difficult; she'd been bottling everything up for days—the stress, the worry, the fear and uncertainty—it all was just too much and she couldn't stop no matter how hard she tried.

But Gaara didn't seem to care—he simply hushed her with softly-murmured words of comfort as he stroked his fingers down the length of her neck and back again.

"I—I'm sorry…" She whispered shakily against him but the young Kazekage shook his head and held her tighter.

"Don't. Don't apologize, dārin."

More tears followed. "B-but I—"

But Gaara cut her off. "No, there's no need. I just want _you. You_ , and no one else, Woman, that is all…why can't you understand that?" His voice sounded almost sad as he tilted his head to look at her tear-stricken face. His fingers found the creases between her eyes and he gently smoothed them away with the pad of his thumb. "There is nothing that could change what I feel for you. _Nothing."_

Matsuri bit her lip hard; his ardent words piercing into her soul as she struggled to breathe through the tears.

His fingers slid down her cheek before the entire palm of his hand came to rest against the side of her neck, his thumb tilting her chin upwards so he could look in her eyes.

"G-Gaara-sama, I—"But she didn't get a chance to finish before crimson locks brushed against her forehead and a warm mouth slanted over hers.

She shuddered at the heat of him, then his free arm circled her waist, holding her flush against him and she closed her eyes, sighing deeply.

 _This…_ she'd been aching for it for what felt like ages. The closeness, the intimacy—the feel and taste of him was all-consuming and the last remnants of her resolve fell away as she curled her arms around him and hugged his body to hers, losing herself completely in the moment.

After several long and intense moments, Gaara drew back just enough to see her eyes—the half-lidded look of longing and desire was enough to bring him to his knees but the Kazekage held himself firmly.

"Please, do not be angry with me…"

The brunette shook her head, hooded gaze hazy as she stared up at him.

He really _had worried himself sick_ over her distant behavior earlier that evening and what it could have meant.

Gods, she felt even more guilty than before and she barely suppressed a grimace.

"No, no I'm not angry, Gaara-sensei, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to make you think that I was upset with you. I was c-confused and upset at _myself_ more than anything and it just got—"

Again she felt the press of warm lips against hers as the redhead once again promptly silenced her.

When he pulled back yet again, he gave her an exasperated, borderline-irritated look. "You _ramble. Far too much,_ Woman." He muttered.

She bit her tongue, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "I—O-oh." Was all she could come up with; after all, he'd warned her more than once to stop apologizing so what else could she say?

"It just makes it very difficult for me to kiss you and enjoy it when you babble every five minutes."

Cheeks burst into flame and in that moment, she wanted to die.

 _Did he have to be so obtuse all the time?!_

"Did I say something wrong?" His apathetic voice echoed in the darkened room and it almost made Matsuri laugh for reasons she didn't know why?

"N-no. No you just—you're so _blunt,_ Sensei…and it's just a little surprising when it comes to things like this…"

"I see…then I have a proposition for you."

"Yes?" Thinking nothing of his sudden redirection of conversation, she met his eyes expectantly.

"Perhaps we could let obtrusive sentiments lie for now and…" His voice trailed off to a husky murmur that caught her off guard as a gentle, calloused hand came up to cradle her cheek.

"…You can just kiss me instead…" jade orbs flickered mischievously as he just barely allowed his lips to brush across hers in a feather-light caress that caused her to tremble.

How he loved teasing her like this; it was so impossibly easy and the responses he elicited from her were so powerful, it was addicting.

"Uuhnn…I…G-Gaara-Sensei…"

The redhead growled approvingly. "You _know_ what it does to me when you call me 'Sensei.'"

Shivers ran through her body as she felt the length of him press snugly against her heated body and she gasped through her nose when long, slender fingers delved into her hair, pulling the hairpins free and letting them fall harmlessly through his fingers and clattering to the floor.

Rich, beautiful chestnut locks tumbled into his hands and he let out a throaty groan as the silky strands flowed through his fingers.

The scent of desert roses and figs assaulted his nose and he brought several locks of nut brown tresses to his lips and nose and inhaled deeply.

"Roses…I knew it." He breathed before dropping his hands to her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

"…Huh…?"

"The roses you gave me for my birthday all those weeks ago…."

"What?" Black eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him in surprise.

"B-But…how did you—?"

"You've _always_ smelled like roses, Matsuri—that's how I knew they were from you; when I smelled them because they smelled like you…"

His face burrowed in her hair once again and he breathed in. He could never get tired of her scent; she'd worn a few perfumes before—usually something with the scent of figs—but overall, roses had been the one constant scent that surrounded her wherever she went. It was the one aspect of her that he knew like the back of his hand and it reassured and comforted him, knowing he'd always be able to find her—all he had to do was follow the smell of roses…the smell of _her._

Drawing her mouth back to his, he kissed her deeply, this time slipping his tongue past the seam of her lips to taste her.

The succulent flavors of her caused him to moan in pleasure and he felt his more primal instincts coming to the surface when her breath flooded his mouth in a gasp and she moaned in response.

Eager hands found the cinched knot of her silk robe and he tugged and pulled impatiently.

"Mmm, G-Gaara w-what are you doing?" She gasped between feverish kisses.

"I want you." He demanded simply, his jade orbs at half-mast still had the same crippling effect on her and she cast dark hooded eyes from his questing hands, back up to his face.

Her hands curled around his, halting his movements, before guiding his hands from her waist, up to the slightly loosened collar of her robe.

Onyx eyes darkened with desire and need, burned into his as she gazed up at him through a thick curtain of lashes.

She bit her lip, a sultry, seductive smile curving her mouth upwards as she spoke softly into the darkness. "I'm _right here…"_

He inhaled sharply, fingers trembling as they curled around the edges of her robe gripped tightly and pulled.

Thin green silk fell from her shoulders in waves, tumbling to the floor and pooling around her feet, just as hungry hands gripped the bare flesh of her waist and tugged her roughly forward.

Her heart raced violently, culminating in a shuddering gasp as heat flooded her veins and licked across every inch of her flesh.

She caught his eyes then and they were on fire as he bowed his head, lips nearing hers.

"…And you are _ **mine…"**_ He affirmed in a dark, smoky voice just before his lips seized hers in a scorching kiss.

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 _ **I know, I know, I'm sure ya'll were expecting a lemon but I don't want to pack everything at once into one chapter! I wanna spread it out a bit so it lasts and you all have more to read! I can't update consistently so when I do, I want to make sure it's more than just one measly chapter so please hold tight and just enjoy the ride! I don't know how much further I'll be taking this fic—I'm kinda sensing the end may be approaching but I'm not sure yet, who knows! Bottom line, just keep reading and enjoying and reviewing! Xoxo!**_


	27. Freefall

_Chapter 27-Freefall_

His arms engulfed her, caging her body in as he lifted her up and slammed her bodily against the wall.

She whimpered from the jerking motion of her head knocking roughly against the wall but then his lips were on hers again, tongue dipping into her mouth and swirling sensuously before his mouth left hers, dragging over her chin and down the length of her throat.

"Mmmm uhhn…Gaara…" She drawled, arching her body into him, feverishly anxious for his touch.

Reaching down, he grasped her thigh and hooked it around his waist before doing the same with her other leg. Once she was securely anchored to his waist, Gaara let out a feral growl, grinding his hips harshly into hers, creating the delicious friction he was desperate for.

Matsuri let out a keening cry that was quickly silenced by the redhead's hot mouth sealing over hers in a burning, hungry kiss.

It wasn't long before her fingers were practically tearing at his robes and once she gained an opening, she clawed the material away from his muscled chest and pushed it off his shoulders.

Their lips broke apart for just a moment as their eyes met—hers at half-mast and his, blazing.

"Matsuri…are…you…alright?" He asked breathlessly, chest heaving as he struggled to steady his racing heart.

The brunette woman simply stared at him for a long moment before taking his face in her hands and kissing him deeply.

She pulled back all too soon, catching his eyes again and smirked. "Does that a-answer your question?"

He kissed her roughly, lifting his arms one at a time as he shook of his robes. They joined Matsuri's silk robe and were forgotten in a pile on the floor and satisfied, the redhead returned his attention to the woman in his arms. Wrapping one arm around her back, he lifted his free hand, gripped the back of her neck and tugged her down into hot, demanding kiss that left them both breathless.

In the next instant, his white tunic shirt was pulled over his head, hastily discarded and the belt of his slacks soon joined, making a loud clanking sound as it clattered to the floor.

Matsuri's hands were frenzied, attempting to touch every part of him at once while she simultaneously engaged in a sloppy exchange of heated tongues meshing and furious teeth gnashing.

Gaara's mouth descended to her shoulder where he half kissed/half bit into her skin, leaving an instant bruise.

A small part of his mind screamed at him to be gentle with her but his baser instincts were much too loud at the moment; even if he'd wanted to be gentle, he couldn't—the burning need for her was much too great.

She hissed when his teeth bit harshly into her flesh, yet a shiver of anticipation raced through her veins; his raw need and harried desperation excited her.

"Gaara…you…you k-know you don't have to w-wait I—"

She didn't realize that her sensei was freed from the rest of his clothes and already positioned at her entrance; his member throbbed with painful need for release and without so much as a gruff 'I'm not' in response, he gripped her firmly by the hips and slammed her down onto his waiting manhood.

There was a gasp and then somewhat of a strangled shriek of surprise from the petite brunette and her eyes snapped wide open when she caught sight of their joining bodies and felt the intrusion of him filling her to the brim.

Black eyes snapped up to jeweled jade and she felt burned by his gaze.

His eyes never once broke away from hers as he steadily thrust into her, deep and hard. Again there was a part of him that tried to hold back—he had wanted to be gentle but the moment she'd touched him, his resolve had crumbled and it was all over.

He needed her.

And he needed her _now._

Another moment of waiting would've killed him, he was sure of it and maybe that made him selfish…or perhaps it meant he was an animal.

The thought was fleeting, yet no less disturbing and for a split-second, Gaara faltered when his eyes focused on her face.

Sensing his sudden hesitation, Matsuri leaned in to kiss his lips, then his jawline and then, she trailed sweet kisses down the length of his neck, causing him to shiver and groan in response. When she reached his shoulder, she nipped at his skin lovingly before whispering "It's okay, Koi…I won't break."

That was all the reassurance he need as he thrust upwards fast and hard. His rhythm changed and instead of a steady pace, he was in a frenzy, causing Matsuri to cry out in a mixture of pain and ecstasy.

His name tore from her lips over and over until at last, she crashed into her orgasm as he once again slammed her hips down into his.

Gaara followed soon after, gasping her name before his trembling legs finally gave out and they both tumbled to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

They remained there for a moment, both panting heavily and bodies slick with sweat from their vigorous love-making. After a few minutes, Matsuri shifted to lift herself off of him but his hands were at her waist in a flash and he held her there, refusing to let her move even an inch.

Onyx orbs drifted to his inquiringly but the young Kazekage—jade eyes smoldering and half-lidded—simply shook his head arduously and pulled her body close. Strong, powerful arms wound around her and he nuzzled his face into her neck as he greedily breathed in her scent.

 _Intoxicating…_ He thought with a soft growl of approval.

 _She_ was intoxicating, like his own personal drug and he knew this moment alone, wouldn't be enough.

He realized he'd _never_ get enough of her and that in and of itself, presented him with a rather perplexing predicament.

He knew Matsuri held some reservations—though he didn't fully understand all of them—and because of that, this situation between them wouldn't be quite as easy to permanently secure. And then of course, there was the matter of the elders of Suna; they'd been haggling him for months now about choosing himself a proper bride and settling down to produce an heir. However, Gaara was not at all fond of the council's particular choice of methods; arranged marriages—quite frankly—disgusted him. The entire concept was in his opinion, utterly absurd when the entire purpose of a marriage union between a woman and Kage, was to solidify and strengthen village bonds, as well as to secure a legacy of peace and prosperity for the people of Suna in years to come. Yet, how on earth would that be remotely possible, if the two persons entering into this marriage union, knew absolutely nothing about each other?! This was the detrimental flaw that Gaara had always been wary of in such cases; arranged marriages could go so far and accomplish so much; financial support as well as prestigious position and reputable connections, certainly. But the most important aspects such as trust, loyalty, companionship and love? These things were rarely if ever, attained and as a result, so many marital relations suffered and ultimately died out.

No. This was one thing Gaara refused to accept as the only path for his life and as he cradled this beautiful, trusting woman in his arms, he saw in her eyes, the possibility of another path to be chosen and a brighter destiny to follow.

##################################

 _ **Ohooooo! Okay so I hope this was to your guys' liking; I know it was kinda rushed but I didn't want to drag this part on forever and a day, plus, I felt this lemon needed to reflect Gaara's raw, almost-animalistic need for Matsuri. No, it's not just sex to him but at the same time, this level of intimacy is more or less, where he and Matsuri's romantic relationship began and from it, I see Gaara discovering more about the depth of his feelings towards her, beyond just the physical aspect. That's why the end of the chapter is written the way it is because already, his mind is turning with the possibilities of being able to have something much deeper with Matsuri and I think we can all agree that Gaara's eagerly anticipating what the future could hold for them! As always, reviews are adored and any input is welcomed especially if you guys have any requests because lord knows, I've been getting my ass kicked with writer's block!**_

P.S. _D_ _ārin-"Darling"_

 _Koi-"Love" or "Sweetheart"_


	28. His Mark, Part I

_Chapter 28-His Mark, Part I_

It was just before sunrise. The last pale rays of the moon had faded, giving way to the first faint glimmers of dawn which fell upon a fated pair sprawled upon a wide sleeping chase in a tangle of twining limbs and satin sheets.

The redheaded male lay with his back against the pillows and cushions, arms and legs tangled around a petite, supple body of a lightly-drowsing woman who reclined against him, bare bosom pressed to his bare chest and face nestled into his neck.

They'd spent most of their strength in the tangles of heated love-making for most of the night and even now—as his fingertips caressed lazily up and down the length of her spine—the half-drowsy-eyed woman felt the stirrings of renewed longing heating in the pit of her belly.

His touch was simply irresistibly arousing and addicting! Perhaps she was a bit too greedy but every touch of his hand—no matter how innocent—left her hungering for more, more, _more!_

Untangling her legs from his, she slowly pulled herself up into a seated position and lazily slid her legs over his hips and around his waist, pulling herself close to his body and gazing up at him with a sleepy yet libidinous stare.

Catching the desire lurking in the depths of her sleepy black eyes, the young Kazekage's body hummed to life and he bit his lip, groaning wantonly.

The brunette smirked sleepily, stretching languorously forward and placing several open-mouthed kisses along his collar bone, pausing every now and then to nibble a bit or simply inhale the heady masculine scent of desert sand and incense the lingered on his skin.

Another answering moan escaped the man above her and his arms slipped around her, hands finding the dip in her waist where he held her firmly against him, letting his head fall back against the wall.

"Damn you, Woman; you're _killing_ me." He agonized as her supple lips dragged languorously across his skin, heating his flesh instantly as well as causing other parts of his body to spring to life.

Matsuri couldn't hold back self-satisfied giggle, pressing a sound kiss to the center of his chest before lifting her head up to look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." She murmured a bit groggily, though there wasn't a hint of remorse in her eyes when she offered him a wan smile.

"Hm." He huffed. "Somehow I doubt your 'remorse.'" He muttered darkly, thought there was a mirthful glint in his eyes as he bowed his head and claimed her lips with his.

Suddenly, all remnants of fatigue seemed to vanish in an instant and Matsuri's body shivered deliciously against his. Her arms snaked around his neck and dainty fingers tangled into his unruly crimson hair, tugging and yanking his head closer as she strove to deepen the kiss.

Her tongue dipped into his mouth, swirling impetuously with his and eliciting a strangled moan from the panting redhead.

He broke the kiss for a moment to catch a glimpse of her dark orbs which now burned brightly with desire and need, only to dive back in for yet another heated meshing of lips.

Her mouth was furious and frenzied against his and suddenly, he took control—dominating the kiss as his lips slid frantically over hers, demanding an equally riotous response from her quivering mouth.

She answered him the best she could and before long, supple sun-kissed thighs cradled his waist as her hips undulated shamelessly against his, eliciting a sharp gasp from him, followed by a hiss and bestial growl deep in his throat.

Banding his arms around her back in a vice-like grip, Gaara's deep, rumbling growl vibrated against her chest and his mouth dropped to her throat where he left several heated licks across her blushing flesh, as well as frenzied bite-marks.

Gasping pants escaped their parted lips as their chests heaved in unison, pressing hotly together and causing a delicious friction that left them both moaning in pleasure.

Gaara's teeth scraped sensuously across the skin of her chest, collar bone and shoulder, before he paused to suckle harshly at the juncture of her throat.

His teeth and lips left an instant bruise that he laved over lovingly with his tongue.

"I want to _mark you…"_ He murmured heatedly against her, causing a shiver to roll through her body, her back arching in response.

She sighed, swept up in a heady wave of lustful bliss and her toes curled when he gave her flesh one more hedonistic nip before catching her mouth in a long, sensuous kiss, dipping his tongue into her honeyed taste.

"I want to leave marks on every. Last. Inch of your _delicious_ body." He purred huskily between kisses, then paused as he raised a hand and caught her chin between his fingers. "That way…" He whispered, leaving feather-light caresses along her jawline with his lips as he spoke softly. "…Everyone will know that you are _**mine; no one will dare touch you,"**_ his mouth paused near the shell of her ear where he let a rare, nefarious smirk break across his serene exterior. _**"Unless**_ they have a death wish." His voice darkened and his eyes followed the path of his fingertips as they trailed over her shoulder and down the length of her arm. "In which case…I will have no choice but to…bring a _**swift end to them."**_ He finished in an almost-menacing murmur before mouth touched the skin of her shoulder in a wet, open-mouthed caress, causing goosebumps to pebble her skin.

Matsuri's heart quickened at the impending warning in his tone and her body shivered in response to his mouth on her skin—that tongue of his was positively _**sinful**_ against her quivering flesh and her heated core dripped with insatiable need. Her hips swirled slowly and sensuously into his, craving the friction that she knew would bring release to her throbbing womanhood.

There was a sharp hiss.

A feral growl from deep in the back of his throat and then, his hands gripped her hips hard as he flipped them over, his body hovering over hers.

"You, Woman, are _torturous seductress_." He kissed her fiercely, tongue plunging forcefully into her mouth as if to prove his point.

His eyes met hers then, molten jade burning into smoldering coal, as he suddenly slid down her body—hands and lips sliding over her shoulders, then down to her delectable breasts where he paused for several long moments to lavish each delectable mound with his mouth.

Matsuri gasped, wanton moans escaping her lips as she laced her fingers into his hair and held him against her, arching her body further into his touch.

"Now…it's _**my turn…"**_ He breathed and suddenly, he was moving past her waist—biting and licking the sensitive dip in her hip before moving to her inner thigh.

Suddenly, Matsuri's body froze when she felt the hot wetness of his tongue making slow circles along her inner thigh.

Pushing up to her elbows, her eyes found widened when she caught the face of her sensei—jade eyes hooded in lust as his tongue continued its lazy circular motion upwards and still upwards, dangerously close to her wet and aching entrance.

Though they'd made love for what seemed like countless times before, the room had always been somewhat darkened and Gaara's mouth had always been very occupied elsewhere and _far away_ from _that part_ of her body.

Now that his eyes _and_ mouth lingered so dangerously close, she felt an intense insecurity wrap around her like a suffocating cloak and instinctively, her knees drew together self-consciously.

Gaara caught the sudden movement and his hands gently pinned her thighs, stilling her movements as he looked up at her questioningly. "Matsuri?"

"I—I'm sorry I j-just…I mean you've n-never…" She trailed off, biting her lip nervously as her eyes flickered apprehensively from his face to some spot on the bed, then back again.

Pushing up on his hands and knees, Gaara planted a soft, reassuring kiss to her belly before his eyes once again met hers, steady and gentle. "I will always give you nothing but absolute pleasure, Matsuri—do you trust me?"

She bit back her uncertainty and simply nodded, a small smile touching her lips as he once again bowed his head between her legs.

There was a moment of frozen time where she felt nothing but the wet heat of his breath ghosting across her swollen center…

…her breath caught in her throat.

Her heart stopped.

And then, his tongue was dipping into her slick folds and fell back against the pillows, her head thrashing from side to side as she cried out in blinding ecstasy.


	29. His Mark, Part II

_Chapter 29-His Mark, Part II_

His tongue swirled around her sensitive bud of nerves and she cried out again; the sound of his name on her quivering lips spurred him on and his tongue swirled and dipped in and out of her in a furious frenzy.

He couldn't believe how exquisite she tasted.

How _**sinfully delicious**_ her honeyed nectar, as it coated his tongue and sent him reeling, his senses spiraling into maddening waves of addicting sensations and flavors.

He could've _lived_ off of nothing but her sinfully delectable essence for the rest of his days and he would have never gone hungry.

Her flavor was _insatiable!_

"G-Gaara nnnuh…o-oh _please!"_ She begged through gritted teeth, her face screwed up in fervent longing as she writhed beneath him, desperate for release.

Unable to stand it any longer, Matsuri gripped a handful of Gaara's hair and yanked his head up, dragging his mouth to hers for a crushing kiss.

Releasing his lips, she licked her own, savoring how the flavors of herself mixed with his. "P-Please, Gaara; I need you, please…"

She pleaded with him and in answer, his arms went around her waist and he lifted her into his lap so she straddled his hips.

Brushing several unruly strands of chestnut from her face, he kissed her forehead, her eyes, then her cheeks and the tip of her nose before lastly, touching her lips with his.

In the next instant, his mouth dropped to the juncture of her neck and shoulder and with an almost animalistic growl, he bit down, teeth sinking into her flesh as he simultaneously entered her, filling her to the brim.

Matsuri cried out; pain and pleasure warring with each other as her body writhed against him. The feeling was so overwhelming, she couldn't bear it—yet she craved for more.

Gaara pounded into her warmth furiously, intent on bringing his beloved to her explosive peak of pleasure, before allowing himself to reach his own.

He gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to crash over the edge but at last, her body quaked and contracted around him as she came; he followed soon after as his teeth once again sunk into her flesh.

Orgasmic spasms wracked their slick, heated bodies for several moments before the blissful pleasure faded and they collapsed against one another, chests heaving, breaths mingling.

"Forgive me, I—"

But she pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. "No, no there's nothing to forgive, Gaara-Sensei…" She murmured sweetly, knowing his eyes lingered at the place where he repeatedly marked her skin.

His eyes darkened with lust and he bowed his head, laving his tongue over the bite marks on her neck and shoulder that had begun to seep miniscule droplets of blood.

The sensation of his wet tongue against her flesh, always made her dizzy and her body shuddered in response as goosebumps appeared.

"Mmmmm…Sensei, you drive me _**insane**_ when you do that!" She gasped, winding her arms around his neck and angling her head to give him better access to her.

A dark chuckle rumbled in his throat and the smirk on his lips was impish. "Oh? You mean when I…lick you?" the tip of his tongue dragged teasingly across her flesh. "….or when I… _ **mark you?"**_ His teeth grazed the skin of her throat just over her pulse point and her body convulsed violently.

Matsuri whimpered and mewled in response. "O-ohhh sssstop it! Its b-both, damn it and you're d-doing it o-on purpose!"

Her gasping moans were swallowed by his mouth as he pulled her into a drawn out kiss, his tongue dancing with hers.

Eventually, smoldering jade orbs, met half-lidded Onyx. "Then you do not mind?" he asked tentatively, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers as he gauged her reaction.

"Mmm, no." She leaned into his touch, rubbing her cheek against his now-open palm as she gazed lovingly into his eyes. "How could I mind when it's how you show your affection?"

Taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he guided her mouth to his and kissed her deeply. "It is much more than that, Koi… _ **so much more."**_

And her heart soared from the look in his eyes and the emotion in his words.

Catching sight of the faint light of sunrise through the window, Matsuri hummed contemplatively before turning her gaze back to the man in her arms.

"As much as I hate to say this, we should probably get up and get ready…Shikamaru and Temari will be leaving for their honeymoon in three hours…we should…probably see them off." She giggled somewhat sheepishly, then closed her eyes when Gaara's lips brushed against her forehead.

"Hm, you're right. And of course from then on, its home to Suna. We'll want to get a head start if we hope to mostly avoid the heat of the day…we can rest awhile and then continue once it passes."

Matsuri nodded in agreement before reluctantly tearing her eyes away from him and extricating herself from his arms.

Standing to her feet, she dragged the top sheet with her and wrapped it haphazardly around her body as she tiptoed towards the bathroom.

Her hand was on the door knob when she felt his fingers wrapping around her wrist, spinning her around. "Oh! G-Gaara w-when did you—?!"

Her Sensei—in all of his bare-chested, body-of-a-god glory, pinned her to the wall and ravished her lips, eliciting a staggered moan from her quivering mouth.

His draw-stringing linen pants hung loosely from his hips and her fingers couldn't help but skitter and play across the tantalizingly tone flesh of his oblique muscles.

Gods, he was sculpted so perfectly, she could almost cry.

Almost.

He broke away, his face bare centimeters from hers as he licked his lips, jaded eyes scanning every inch of her face as if he was memorizing her.

"There's only…so much restraint I possess whenever I'm with you; I apologize."

She blinked at him and then dissolved into a peel of giggles, more than delighted to have such a powerful effect on him. "W-well I'm glad! At least I'm not the only one…"

His eyes flickered with a kind of surprised recognition before she pecked his lips twice before skipping out of his arms and into the bathroom to ready for the day.

It wouldn't be long now and they would be returning home…

Home to _**Suna**_ where they couldn't help but wonder _just what adventures awaited them in their future together?_


	30. Wait For Me

She couldn't have fathomed what awaited them on their return to Suna—she could never have been prepared for _this_ and now, she felt like she was living a nightmare.

The counsel was pressuring Gaara to wed and candidates were already pouring in from Fire, Wind, and Water country. The last two weeks had been nothing but meetings with dignitaries who then proceeded to present various eligible young women "for the Kazekage's favor." Gaara had had suspicions that the counsel was up to something and now, he'd been proven correct.

He was _furious._

He had no intentions of going along with this charade; he would not bow to their insufferable demands…

However, he was Kazekage and as such, he had a duty to be the utmost upstanding and perfect Host to all political dignitaries who were welcomed in Suna.

So…swallowing his pride and boiling anger, he bore his duties impeccably and was the perfect gentlemanly host throughout the two-week duration.

Matsuri was in _agony._ She hadn't seen so much as a glimpse of Gaara since their return from Konoha and when news had spread that the counsel had prepared a two-week visitation, that their Kazekage might choose a suitable bride, her heart had shattered.

She knew she shouldn't put so much stock in rumors; yes, she'd seen the visiting nobles and parading female candidates but…she had no right jumping to conclusions; this was politics, something she knew very little of and Gaara…he was their Kazekage— _her_ Kazekage. After all he's done for this village—for her—he deserved her trust and respect, regardless of what she felt.

But the wretched feeling wouldn't go away; she felt like she was tearing apart from the inside out and with Temari away on her Honeymoon and moving to Konoha…she had no one to turn to.

She was alone.

She didn't know what to do and the moment the sunset on the beautiful Sunian desert, she locked herself in her room and cried herself to sleep.

/

The next morning found Matsuri pale and eyes red and puffy from crying.

She dressed mechanically, not even paying attention to her choice of clothing—a long sleeved burgundy crop top with a charcoal wrap around skirt that stopped mid shin—just blindly pulled it out of her closet and dressed.

She didn't even bother with food and simply trudged out of her apartment and headed towards the Kage tower.

Dread.

She didn't want to go to work today; work meant facing _him_ and he was the last person on earth she wanted to see, though her bleeding heart protested otherwise.

Before she knew it, she was standing in the reception hall just outside of Gaara's large office and giving a nod to one the guards who stood watch at the doors, she walked to her desk and dropped into her chair.

Five minutes later,the to Gaara's office opened and out walked the Kazekage himself, his brother at his side. They were speaking in hurried, clipped tones and it was obvious the redhead was upset. "I don't care what you have to do or say, Kankuro but I want those absurd _crones_ off my back; no. More. Candidates. I refuse; I may have to suffer the _guidance_ of the counsel when it comes to matters and the welfare of my village, but I draw the line when it comes to matters of my _heart._ Enough is enough!" he hissed.

Kankuro rested a hand on the redhead's shoulder in am attempt to calm him. "Gaara I get it but you _have to calm down!_ You need to keep your head and play the hospitable host for _just_ a few more days until this last one leaves and then it's done. You can tear into the counsel all you want after that but not a second before; we have alliances with these nations and we need to keep those bonds as strong and steady as possible or we'll have trouble." The brunette whispered near his brother's ear.

Gaara grit his teeth, fists clenching. "I _do not need to cast myself into a loveless union with a complete stranger, in order to sustain alliances. Kankuro."_ He bit back, jade eyes flashing.

His bother held up a placating hand. "I know that, Gaara—easy. All I'm saying is, wait to make your point with the counsel _after_ the Wind dignitaries have left. Then you can let it be known in no uncertain terms are they to meddle with your personal life in the future. No one can force you into marriage or anything else…besides, _you_ should be the one to chose that for yourself—not that you haven't already-"

But his words were cut off when he noticed the startled wide-eyed gaze of his brother was directed passed his shoulder. When he turned, he caught sight of Matsuri and his heart sank.

Gods, she must have been going through _hell_ ; he hadn't hardly seen her and come to think of it, when he'd asked a few of her co-workers at the office, they'd said she'd been locked away in meetings all day or hiding away in her apartment—she wasn't talking to anyone and a few of her closer co-workers/friends were getting worried.

Now, he understood why. She looked _terrible. Her hair was a tangled mess that she'd thrown up into a haphazard bun, her face was pale likely from lack of sleep, and her eyes were so red it looked like she'd been crying for days._

" _Matsuri?" Gaara's deep, gravelly voice broke the silence and Kankuro shot him a nervous side-long glance._

 _Could he see how terribly worn and drained Matsuri looked?_ From the way his fists clenched at his sides, it was probably a definite 'yes.'

At the sound of his voice, her whole body went rigid. She wanted to scream, cry, beat him and throw herself at him at the same time—but she held back; in spite of how part of her desperately missed him, the other part was still hurting and therfore wary—she hasn't seen him in two weeks and regardless of what they'd shared in Konoha, she didn't know what to expect from him now.

Did she even have the _right_ to expect anything?

This was Suna after all; here, he was Lord and Master, Kazekage-his village came first and foremost above anything else.

Even her.

She bit her lip and took a deep breath; if there was one thing she loved dearly about him, it was his passion for this village and it's people. If he could sacrifice his _life_ in serviceto his Suna, well she could do no less and sacrifice the desires of her heart.

Decision firmly in place, she turned slowly and faced her Kazekage. "Kazekage-sama, forgive my absence the last few days—I—was not well." She bowed deeply in apology and Kankuro had to admire her determination to face this situation head on and with grace and dignity…

Hell. If _that_ wasn't the makings of a true future Kaze-hime, he didn't know what was

Apparently, something in her approach moved the Kazekage as well; Kankuro didn't miss the way his eyes shifted, becoming sharp and heated as he observed Matsuri.

"You were unwell?"

"Yes. I deeply apologize."

"There is no need, I trust—" he broke off, jade eyes gazing at her more closely—lingering on the paleness of her cheeks and the redness in her eyes.

His brow furrowed with displeasure. "I trust you are well, Matsuri—if not, the last place I want you is here; you need rest if you are-"

But the brunette shook her head, lip suddenly trembling from the deep concern she sensed in his voice; _'Oh no, not now! Why does he have to be so caring?!'_

"Really, I assure you, I'm-"

Her voice cracked just slightly and it sent a jolt of alarm through him. "Matsuri…" he took a step towards her, hand reaching out—palm up—and jade eyes piercing hers, beckoning. _What is wrong? Let me help you…_

Black eyes widened and she turned her back on him, feeling the tears burn. She was seconds from breaking when a 'rescue' came in a most unexpected form.

"Kazekage-sama, forgive me but a message has just arrived; it appears your sister and husband have run into a bit of trouble whilst in their honeymoon—they have been sighted at the gates as we speak and are asking an audience."

His hand dropped to his side and he was forced to turn away from her and direct his attention to the messenger. "Send a guard and escort them to my family home immediately. Kankuro and I will meet them there directly."

The young scribe nodded and was gone.

Turning to Kankuro, the redhead nodded and with one last half-glance in Matsuri's direction, he found her desk empty—she was gone.

His jaw clenched but he forced it out of his mind for the time being. "Kankuro, with me." He turned on his heel and stalked out of the office, a plan already forming in his mind.

He hated this, but unfortunately, he had other more pressing matters to attend to and Matsuri would have to wait—but not for long, he vowed.

/

 _ **A/N: Ahhhhhh I know so agsty! But this just came to me so I'm running with it! It's an unplanned plot twist and our favorite redhead will probably be on the outs with his lady for a bit but don't worry, I won't torture you guys for long, I promise! Btw, HI I'M BACK! Yeah I know, long time but life is cray cray with 2 little ones now so updates can only come when I manage to find time! Love all the same and please review!**_


	31. Hardships Threaten

**A/N: Yesssss it feels good to be back with this story! Ahhh** Guest reviewer- **Your review literally made me giggle out loud, hahaha! Especially the 'gonna go squeal into my pillow now' bit Ha! So you know what? I'm gonna dedicate this next chapter to you! Thank you for being so understanding as well for the limited time I have as of late.**

 **Anyways read on and to the rest of you, ya better start leaving me reviews too! ;)**

 **/**

There had been some small political skirmishes on the boarders of Water country and during a particularly heated exchange between some boarder guards and traveling vagabonds, Temari and Shikamaru had been inadvertently drawn into the dispute, on their passage through. Shikamaru attempted to diffuse the situation and in all fairness, it hadn't been as serious as it could've been—but things got sketchy when one of the guards took notice of Temari—exotic beauty that she was—and made a shameless grab for her.

Needless to say, the typically cool-headed Nara went straight out the window and strategic diplomacy was exchanged in favor of a guard half-strangled to death via a certain shadow jutsu, only to be tossed away violently afterwards when the—ahem—wind just 'suddenly' picked up.

Hence, the reason why the newlyweds had slightly shortened their honeymoon and were stopping over in Suna on their way back home.

The foursome—Gaara, kankuro, Temari and Shikamaru—were gathered in the Sabaku family home that evening and when Temari had finished relaying their little misadventure, Gaara let go the breath he'd been holding. "It could have been so much worse. But I am—relieved it wasn't. Some may argue you took things too far, Shikamaru—but I for one do not. Temari has always handled herself but you defended her honor and for that, I greatly thank you." He shook his brother in law's hand firmly, earning a rare smile from the pineapple headed man. "No need to thank me—a Nara respects his woman's ability to handle herself—but we don't stand by when some asshole threatens her honor either. We defend what's ours. Always." And with that, his dark eyes softened as they strayed too his wife who was shaking her head and rolling her eyes at the two of them—but the smile in her eyes said it all.

"So! What's this I hear about all these visiting dignitaries, my darling brother? You haven't caused rifts between us and Water country, have you?"

Temari teased, but before Gaara could even respond, Kankuro blurted, "Ha! With the way they're all throwing their daughters at him, one right after the other, you'd think they were more concerned with repopulating than sustaining alliances." He scoffed distastefully, then shrank in fear when the redhead shot him a warning death glare.

Temari's eyes rounded in shock.

Silence ensued.

And then all **hell** broke loose.

"WHAT?!"

/

When the feisty blonde had _finally_ calmed down, her brothers related to her all that had transpired in the last two weeks. To say Temari was livid would be an understatement. Then, a thought occurred to her. "…Matsuri."

Kankuro shot her a discreet look with a shake of the head, but Gaara's hearing had always been sharp and way above exceptional.

The redhead said nothing but there was a visible tensing of his shoulders and tightening in his jaw that spoke volumes.

Temari read him instantly. "So. She knows then."

Her husband shook his head, muttering 'troublesome' under his breath before eyeing his brother in law. "And you haven't spoken to her yet, have you."

His wife's startled green eyes snapped to him before flicking back to her brother who _still_ said nothing. "You _haven't?!_ Gaara! Are you out of your mind?!" the blonde was on her feet again, nostrils flared and seconds away from raving. "Do you have any idea what this has been doing to her?! Hell, I haven't even _been here_ and I know; confused and _devastated,_ how could you _not talk to her-!"_

"YOU DON'T THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?! I'M BOUND BY A BLOODY DUTY WHICH MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO DO ANYTHING BUT SIT AND BEAR WITH IT TILL ITS ENDED, WHILE THE FUCKING COUNSEL WREAKS HAVOC BEHIND MY BACK, CAUSING PAIN TO THE ONE PERSON I'VE EVER LOVED, AND I CAN DO NOTHING!"

The room was dead silent. It had been years since any of them had seen Gaara lose himself in a rage like this and even without the biiju Shukaku inhabiting him—it was unnerving to say the least.

For the young Kazekage, he'd been bottling up the anger and frustration day after day and adding to that his increasing worry over Matsuri—he couldn't take it anymore. Falling into a chair, he dropped his head in his hands and a trembling breath escaped his body. "… _She_ is the one who has suffered the most, yet I could do nothing because I am bound to my duty to deal with this situation in the most diplomatic way possible—and she's been forced to endure the gossip—the rumors—feeling _humiliated_ like I played her for a fool…"

"Then _what_ are you still doing here?" Temari demanded, hands on her hips. " _Do_ something about it! Yeah, you can't undo the last two weeks and to be honest, she's probably—super pissed beyond belief and likely won't forgive you for awhile but…you're not gonna fix _anything_ by just sitting around here."

"Tem's right, Bro; you've gotta fix this—prove to Matsuri that whatever is between you two is _real_. Yeah, she'll be mad at you for awhile but she's always believed in you and she'll trust your word above anyone else's."

Gaara looked at each of his elder siblings; a mixture of uncertainty and hope reflected in jade orbs.

They both nodded, smiling encouragingly. "Go."

/

 _ **Yes yes, I know this one's super short but I wanted to give you guys SOMETHING to tie you over until I have more time to crank out a longer chapter! Some warnings for future chaps: there's gonna be a lot of angst going on specifically between our leading lovers. Keep in mind, Gaara doesn't always handle emotions well, considering he's still new at all of that so he will be coming across as demanding, controlling, maybe a bit obsessive but that's how I want his character to develop—to me, it's crucial so we can see exactly how his character evolves emotionally. So please excuse any OOCness as it IS on purpose.**_


	32. Let It Be Enough

Matsuri had just dropped into bed after a long, draining day when suddenly, a firm rapping on her door roused her. _'seriously? I just got to bed!'_ dragging herself up, she stumbled about the room for a minute until she found her cardigan. A flimsy crop top and wide legged lounge pants were fine for pjs but when it came to being up out of bed and padding across the cold floor, it was chilly.

Another slightly louder rap had the doe eyed brunette scowling as she reached the door. "I'm _coming!"_ Throwing it open, she only just registered jade and flaming red, before she panicked and her heart started _racing._ She gasped at the sight of him—jade eyes looking straight into hers was like a sucker punch to the gut and she stumbled back from the entry in shock.

"…Gaara..!"

The desert night air whisked through his Kage robes, making them billow around him in a regal appearance. His crimson locks were equally teased and every now and then, she caught a glimpse of the 'love' Kanji blazing on his forehead.

Gaara just stared at her. Her thin cotton crop top and cotton pants drifted about her curves in airy folds and the cardigan she had on hung off one shoulder. Her hair was mused, like she'd rolled out of bed—but it was her _eyes_ that captured his attention the most: _red. Swollen. Tired._

' _she's probably been crying herself to sleep every night, yet you do nothing?!'_

Temari's words rang in his head and a sharp pain and regret pierced his heart.

He would waste no more time.

"These past two weeks have been none of my doing. The elders arranged this charade in hopes that it would force me to choose a suitable—bride—which would further alliances, in their opinion. I was not consulted, yet I—I had to handle things in a way that would avoid a diplomatic disaster so…I…I endured it till now. But no more. I know you have no reason to accept or believe my words and—you have every right to—hate me, but—" here, he hesitated; the very idea that Matsuri could _hate_ him, cut him to the quick and it _hurt._ But she deserved at least this much—the right to _choose_ and as much as he desperately wanted her, he would never take that choice away from her. "I had to at least explain. I wanted to let you know at least this much and that I am meeting with the council effective immediately, to put an end to this."

Matsuri said nothing, only stared at him, frozen.

"Matsuri…I never intended to cause you pain. It is—the last thing on this earth that I can bear. So please allow me to apologize. I—" And in a movement that would've doubtlessly had his father turning in his grave, the redhead dropped to his knees and touched his forehead to the floor in complete abasence before her. "…Please—forgive me."

This act of utter subjugation, ripped Matsuri from her stupor and she begged him, "G-Gaara-sama please don't! You shouldn't lower yourself before me like that, that's-"

"-a symbol of one's complete and utter surrender and loyalty to their master. Yes, I am aware." He finished. Then, lifting his head up just enough to meet her eyes, a deep determination passed through his eyes as he spoke. "As it is—I _am completely and utterly surrendered to_ _ **you.**_ No other woman—no other human being on this earth, holds the loyalty of my affection—of my _heart—but you._ Save for my village—therfore, you _**are**_ my master….Matsuri."

She felt hot tears sting her eyes, then he was before her in an instant, hand cupping her cheek softly and lips whispering into her hair. "No matter what you decide—you will always have my heart, I'm afraid. And I don't need your forgiveness right now—I—I can _see_ how badly I've hurt you and I cannot bear it. So I'll leave you with just this; nothing like this will ever happen again…and no one will _ever_ harm you or cause you pain. I swear it on my life." Then he was kissing her hair, his thumb catching the first few tears that fell from her eyes…

And then, he was gone.

Unable to stand it any longer, the trembling brunette crumbled to the floor and sobbed.

On a rooftop not far away, a certain Kazekage caught the whispering scent of her tears and his fist clenched at his side as his heart echoed the sharp pain. Eyes drifting up to the full moon, his resolve hardened and he looked straight ahead, praying, _'Please…let it be enough.'_

/

"This is OUTRAGEOUS, Kazekage-sama! What do you mean by summoning us at this ungodly hour, only to declare that you are bringing the alliance negotiations to an end, _without_ consulting us?!"

Gaara stood in the midst of the Council chamber, his regal form straight as an arrow and jade orbs alight with righteous anger. "As _you_ are the ones who orchestrated these—negotiations—without _my_ consent in the first place, I am well within my rights to bring them to a close. Tell me Temari, what do the laws of my father, the former Kazekage, say in regards to the Council overstepping boundaries of authority?"

An icy chill swept the room as Temari stepped forward from the shadows, green eyes hard and calculating as she stared down the members of the Council. "'Should any member(s) of the Council presume to make decisions-whether political or otherwise-and enact them _without_ consult and permission from the Kazekage, it is a direct usurping of Kazekage-sama's authority and is to be considered an act of treason.' Punishable by—ah, _death_ I believe was how the old man preferred to do things, ne?"

The shaken members were stricken pale and seemed to shrink under their Commander's domineering glare.

Gaara was _not_ to be trifled with yet once again, they'd made the critical error of underestimating their Kazekage, simply because he was young. They mistook his youth for naiveté.

"Perhaps as you were all so very—devoted—to the Era of my father, you would rather I exercise my power _strictly,_ as he himself saw fit?"

Shaking in their shoes, the Council fell on their faces before their commander. _"Please, please pardon us, Kazekage-sama! We beg you to r-reconsider-"_

"Then you are herby stripped of your ranks as of this moment; you are no longer members of my Council and will remain in your homes where you will _mercifully_ live out the remainder of your disgraceful existence." He glared down at them in disgust, his eyes sharp and burning. "Now _get out of my sight, before I change my mind."_ With that, all scrambled to their feet and fled the room in terror.

Gaara stood motionless in the now-empty council chamber—the only other companions being his sister and brother, as well as his old Sensei, Baki—the only member of his council who had never once turned against him. Gaara sunk to a squatting position, elbows propped on his knees and fingers steepled at his lips. "Baki."

The older man stepped forward, bowing. "Hai, my lord."

"…Thank you for standing by me. As always, you remain loyal to me, next to my siblings."

Baki nodded his thanks but caught a troubling look cross his Kazekage's features. "…if I may, Kazekage-sama. What is it that still troubles you?"

"…This—reprehensible situation has left me without more than an empty council; I have—I have to repair the damage those bafoons have cause, yet I—I don't see a clear way to do so."

"Hmm. Well it seems to me that—from what I've observed, my lord has never met a challenge that has defeated him yet. And I am certain that—all those caught in the crossfire, will undoubtedly understand that you are not to blame and—they will gladly stand beside you once more."

Temari let loose a small snicker, fully knowing _exactly_ what her old Sensei was implying. He never missed a thing, it seemed.

"Are you attempting to insinuate something, Baki?"

The man smiled sagely. "Not at all, Kazekage-sama; simply wishing that you will not doubt yourself because of what has happened here. I _do_ however wish to point out that marriage—it is something that you need to consider, my Lord; an heir is crucial and vital if you hope that your legacy will carry on. I do not agree with the council's methods but—I _do_ understand the intent behind it."

Gaara stood to his full height once more, and as he passed the older man, he dropped a hand on his shoulder and leveled an uncharacteristically kind smile at him. "You are one of my most trusted advisors, Baki—and—my longest friend." This admission had the older man gasping in shock and turning startled eyes on his Commander and Chief. "I assure you that I value your advice and it has already been— _well taken into consideration._ " With that, his hand dropped and he whisked from the room in confident strides—a goal set firmly in his mind.

"I—what just happened…? And what he said, does that…does that mean he's already…?" He cast bewildered eyes from kankuro to Temari and was further befuddled to find matching Cheshire cat grins on their faces. Kankuro snickered. "Who knows. One things for sure, Gaara is _always_ three steps ahead of everyone else. Heh. That's why he's one hell of a Kazekage."

Temari nodded in agreement. "Ha! Damn straight." The three left the room then, trailing several paces behind their Commander who was long gone, nothing but a trail of sand in his wake.

Temari was grinning from ear-to-ear with one singular thought echoing in her head. _'I hope you're ready, Matsuri—because he's coming for you.'_

/

 **Ohooooo what do you think is in the cards for Matsuri and our sexy redhead? Seriously, I wanna hear your thoughts guys! Also, if there's anything you are wanting to see happen in the next few chapters, let me know ASAP because this story is winding down to its close! Mwah!**


	33. Sabaku no hana

**A/N: okay guys, I'm gonna try and wrap this one up in the next 1-2 chapters or so. Thank you so much for your patience with me-its been tough this last month and a half with the sudden tragic passing of my surrogate father, but I'm getting back on track slowly but surely. Here's a chapter that's hopefully going to give you some long awaited moments between our favorite couple-still a bit angsty though and I'm gonna be honest, gaara is going to come across as scary so prepare yourself.**

 **/**

 _Chapter 33-Sabaku no hana_

Unfortunately, Gaara's second attempt to explain everything to Matsuri, was fruitless. She refused to answer the door and pleaded with him to give her some time. The redhead was severely disappointed but he relented; if all she needed was time, then she wasn't rejecting him fully—he still had a chance so he could wait.

But as one week turned into two…and then three, his patience began to wane and at the approach of the fourth week, the Kazekage lost control. It was nothing but a mild oversight one of the Suna academy instructors had made that caused a backup in paperwork…but it was enough. Gaara had had enough. With a roar of frustration, he overturned his desk, screaming at everyone in his office to get out. The academy instructor was shaken to say the least and fled from his presence, nearly colliding with Temari and Kankuro who had just arrived back from a mission to give their report. Noticing their brother's trembling secretary and the instructor cowering before them, white as a sheet, they knew something had gone terribly wrong.

"Anah? Where is my brother?" Temari addressed the secretary who promptly tripped over her own feet as she scrambled to explain. "Ah, T-temari-san p-please, you must do something!"

Kankuro felt a terrible chill in the air and a very tense, almost sinister aura eminated from his brother's office. "What's happened, Anah?"

"He's—Kazekage-sama is highly distressed; there was a mistake while processing one of the academy students; more paperwork piled up because of it but he, he lost it! He threw his d-desk across the room and screamed at all of us to get out! Poor Ichijou-Sensei was scared to death!" they all turned to the young man who stood off to the side, still shaking. "I—it was my fault, I know that but-!"

Temari shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ichijou-san, you made a mistake but a small one; my brother knows that so please understand that his reaction has absolutely nothing to do with you. I'm sorry."

The youth looked up at her. "…my brother has…other things that weigh very heavy on his mind and—now it seems they are affecting his work. Not good. Kankuro?"

"You got it, Tem." With that, the eldest male Sabaku turned and kicked the door down to his brother's office. At Temari's bidding, the employees vacated the premises, leaving her and kankuro to deal with the aftermath of their baby brother's temper.

The scene that greeted them was utter destruction. Every piece of furniture in Gaara's office was nothing but a pile of splinters. Papers were strewn about the floor, books torn in half and scattered and Gaara's own desk was cleaved in two—the Kazekage himself standing in the midst of what was left of it.

Sweat poured off his face and neck, his hair was a wreck and tremors rippled through his whole body as he fought for control.

Temari and kankuro exchanged worried looks—it had been years since they'd seen their brother like this and it sent a frightening chill up their spine, bringing up memories they didn't wish to recall.

Despite the slight pang of fear that struck her, Temari forced it aside and approached her brother—cautiously. "Gaara—what the hell happened here? You know Ichijou-san made a minor error, so it can't have anything to do-"

" _I don't. Want to talk. Get out."_ He cast a look over his shoulder that turned Temari's blood to ice but she pressed him anyways; he couldn't stay like this, it wasn't healthy at all for him, much less for anyone else!

"Gaara—I know the last few weeks have been frustrating…"

"Forgive me, Sister but you _know nothing."_ His eyes screwed shut in anguish as he dropped his head in his hands. "…She won't even talk to me. Nearly a _month_ has passed and I—I can't even catch more than a glimpse of her face…where did I…" his voice cracked at the end, tearing at the hearts of his siblings. "…where did I go _wrong? Was it…did I say or do something wrong? Did I…not do enough?!"_ At this, his shoulders began to shake as dry sobs escaped his lips. He'd spent so much of his life never knowing what it is to be loved, and just when the first woman to ever believe in him, offered her heart, _everything went wrong._

Overcome with sympathy for her brother's plight, Temari took an uncharacteristic approach and gathered her baby brother in her arms. " _Gaara…_ this has gone on for too long; it's understandable for her to be upset but she's—you need to ignore what Matsuri wants now."

"But—but she said-"

"Nah, fuck what Mat _claims_ she wants, Bro; Temari's right. Mat's taking this too far and trust me when I say she's miserable. I've seen her, she misses you. Badly. But for whatever stupid reason, she's letting her unreasonable fears and pride, keep her away from you. Don't let her. _You_ are in control and it's time you break her door down, _make her talk to you_ and just go all beast on her, you know?!" kankuro clapped his brother on the back, winking suggestively which only earned him a sharp jab in the ribs courtesy of Temari. " _Don't_ make things worse, you baka!"

"No. Kankuro is right." Resolved, the redhead straightened, jade orbes set firmly ahead in determination. "I'm not going to let her have her way—not this time; I've waited but the waiting is done and I won't give up so easily—the council may have thwarted my progress but I _will claim what's mine."_

"Gaara…"

"Damn straight!" Kankuro smirk was devious in its intent as he watched the back of his commander heading for the door. Just before exiting, the flaming redhead glanced back at his siblings. "Kankuro. Temari. Thank you."

Both nodded—Kankuro shooting him a thumbs up—and he was gone.

Temari's soft smile faltered just slightly and she glanced at kankuro. "I really hope you know what you might have started; he's a good man but we _both_ know Gaara's always prone to violent tempers when it comes to his emotions—and with Matsuri being the cause? Ugh, it could be so much worse…"

"Tem. You said it yourself; she took things too far. Okay _maybe_ Gaara's unstable right now but the man's got a right; he needs her to see what this did to him—he won't hurt her, you and I both know he'd die first—but _she hurt him."_

"You…you're right, I-I just wish there was an easier way."

Kankuro smiled, nudging her gently with his shoulder. "You always _did_ have a soft spot for Gaara, Sis." He teased.

A tick appeared on her brow and she grumbled, "Tch, don't be _ridiculous, baka."_

/

That night, it was as if a mini sandstorm had picked up out of nowhere as the jade eyed kazekage with flaming hair and crimson robes billowing about him, stalked purposefully through the streets, intent on one goal. When his feet marked the path that lead to the quaint bungalow housing Matsuri's apartment, he stood still a moment, breathing in the evening air as his eyes sought out the light spilling forth from her bedroom window.

He reached out with his Chakra, seeking her presence and when he found it, the sands in his gored rattled in response; they had already imprinted on Matsuri's scent so the feel of her Chakra would doubtlessly arouse them.

His eyes slid closed. "I've found you, my desert blossom." He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, lips remaining slightly parted as his eyes snapped open. "This time, I won't let you escape me."

/

Matsuri was tired. Emotionally drained as the last almost-month had taken its toll. In all honesty, she hadn't meant for it to go this far—but then rumors had started circulating: 'The Kazekage dismissed the council!' 'I heard it was over a woman' 'One of the candidates?' 'Yes! Apparently, he's fallen madly in love but the council insulted her' 'No, seriously?! That's shameful! Oh, who do you think the lucky girl is?' 'ah, it has to be the one from Water Country, no? She's gorgeous! And aren't they old acquaintances?'

The rumors were endless but she wouldn't have paid them any mind, had she not seen Gaara himself speaking privately with a lovely young woman two weeks prior. She'd been out shopping when she'd spotted the pair in one of Suna's more upscale tea houses, seated in a semi-secluded corner by the open window as they conversed lightly and easily with each other. She had long auburn hair that flowed nearly past her waist and the marking on her headband was Water country's symbol.

It wasn't much but it was enough to prove to Matsuri that the rumors held some truth to them.

She felt like an idiot. Humiliated and disillusioned, she'd torn herself away from the scene, trying desperately to hold back the flow of tears as she stumbled home. When she reached her bungalow, the dam broke and she locked herself in the bathroom and cried for hours. It was only a few hours later that Gaara had shown up at her door wanting to further explain their last conversation, but she couldn't bring herself to face him. She needed time to collect her emotions and piece together her shattered dignity so she could face him properly.

But then time passed, the rumors continued and…here she was. An embarrassed, emotional wreck of a woman that was now, far too ashamed to face her Kazekage and so, she hid herself away for as long as she could.

Little did she know, her time was up as a loud rap upon her door, roused her from her place curled up on the couch. Clad in nothing but a flimsy moss green tank top and cotton shorts that barely touched the tops of her thighs, she pulled herself away from the large pillow she'd been snuggling, and stood. Another knock—slightly more hurried—had her hastening to answer; Sayuri _had_ mentioned she might stop by in order to drop off that book on strategic long range warfare that Matsuri had been pestering to borrow… the brunette sighed. At least it would be a distraction from her depressive thoughts.

"Hai, hai, I'm coming 'yuri-chan just le-" the words died on her lips when the door opened and she saw _him_ standing on the other side.

Her eyes went wide and for several seconds, she couldn't even breathe. _"…Gaara…"_ she whispered at last but she was still frozen to the spot.

He looked exhausted—almost _battle-worn_ and his eyes were afire. "You have pushed me to the limit." Was all he said before he was pushing his way through her door and barricading it behind him with a solid wall of sand, barring her escape.

"…You…what are you doing here?" she ventured but her mouth clamped shut when he shot her a dark look. "You don't get to ask the questions." He bit out. His temper already flared and he did little to conceal it, despite the fact that it may frighten her, because well…he just didn't care at the moment. " _I_ am the one who needs answers from you. Chiefly, why did you lie to me? You said you need—time. Yet here we are, nearly a _month_ later and you are still avoiding me. Tell me."

A beat of silence. "…Truthfully, I-I didn't intend to let s-so much time pass but I was embarrassed."

"of me?"

"No! No, of course not! You misunderstand,"

He cut her off. "Then explain it, now."

She balked a little; he had never been so terse with her and she didn't like how he was pushing for answers either—he was losing patience. "…I'm…I know your frustrated, but could you please not be so-"

It was then that Gaara actually _scoffed_ and _sneered_ at her. "I don't care. What you do or don't like, at the moment. Give me an answer—why did you lie?"

She was in shock. Now, he was borderline cruel and she shrunk back at the revelation of this darker side of him. "I—I don't think I can talk to you like this, you…I'm sorry, Gaara-sama b-but please leave…" she had turned back towards her bedroom when a sudden rush of wind and the hissing of sand, froze her in her tracks.

" _I SAID I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"_ His sand shot out from his ghoard in a violent fury—intentionally missing Matsuri by inches, only to shatter the door of her bedroom in one explosive strike. The sound was deafening but it dismantled her previous timidity and she whirled on him. "Gaara-sama! What did you just-?!"

" _There will be no door to keep you from me, Matsuri! I forbid it!"_ He snarled vehemently and for the first time, she caught just a shadow of what her sensei _had been_ when nothing but Shukaku's ruthless bloodlust consumed him.

"Do you _still_ refuse to answer me? Do you even comprehend what your continuous _rejection_ has done to me?! I nearly _destroyed my office beyond repair_ and if I had, everyone in it would have suffered worse!"

Her blood was ice and she could feel the fist of dread squeezing her heart to the point of crushing it. "…G-Gaara I'm so—I j-just thought—there were _rumors!_ I wouldn't have paid them any m-mind but then I s-saw you two weeks ago and I thought-!" Her voice broke off on a sob that she attempted to stifle with a hand over her mouth. Gods, what had she done?

It was then that the words tumbled out of her one right after the other—between gasps and broken sobs, she told him of the rumors that had been circulating and ended with the evening she'd seen him in the restaurant with the woman from Water Country. He listened wordlessly and made no outward show of whether or not her words affected him—but inside, every word she spoke only tore fresher wounds into his heart. He was torn between the aching desire to comfort her, bitter remorse that he'd unwittingly caused her pain, and anger that she had not trusted him enough to come to him. She'd turned and fled from him—just like everyone else in the earliest years of his life, and he couldn't help but feel betrayed.

"The woman I met with was Shion (A/N: NOT Shion from Snow country, I just like the name). She is an acquaintance of mine and—coincidentally, one of the candidates that had been presented to me as a potential mate. But since I had no intentions of accepting _any_ marriage prospects, I had a responsibility to explain to her. That is all. You shouldn't have concerned yourself with such matters as it is obvious your foolishness overshadowed your better judgment."

His words were true—but harsh nonetheless and they _stung._ It was becoming glaringly, _painfully_ obvious to her that Gaara was beyond disappointed; he was disgusted with her and likely had no intentions of ever forgiving her.

She couldn't blame him. She should have placed her trust in him but instead, she'd let a few stray rumors and underhanded ticks from the council, shake her resolve and now, she'd ended up betraying the one person she cared for most in all the world.

She could see it in his eyes as he stood before her, staring angrily into her eyes—he was wounded, deeply and it was all her fault.

"I know that what the counsel has done—caused you pain. But you—you couldn't even trust me… _wait_ for me long enough so I could explain."

Another choked sob escaped her when the visceral pain he felt, showed in his eyes. "…What _am I to you, then?_ Tell me at least that, Matsuri. If you have any—if you ever _had_ any depth of feeling for me at all, then tell me _why you deserted me?_ "

She could bear it no further and she broke apart before him. Arms wrapped around herself as if to keep her very being from crumbling to pieces, she sank to the floor and rocked back and forth, weeping in anguish. _"But I_ _ **do love you!**_ " She wailed, unable to withhold the words any longer, regardless if they were rejected now—as well they _should be_. She felt unworthy of any forgiveness and the bitterness of self-hatred seeped into her soul in that moment.

For himself, her words had left Gaara utterly shell-shocked. _Did—did she just say she…?_

" _ **I do love you, I do! I am so inescapably consumed with you and that is why I was s-so afraid! I-I was afraid that I h-had been wrong! I hated the counsel for what they did to you, but then I saw her and I couldn't h-help but hate her for j-just being near you and then—I felt so ashamed! I was horrible for even l-letting it get to me, I ran away. You're right, Kazekage-sama—I ran!"**_ She hiccuped, at last lifting her head to look at him through her tears. His face was a blur to her but she was certain it held nothing for her but contempt.

" _ **I—I will never forgive myself for it; I was a coward and oh gods, would that I could take it all back!"**_ more tears of misery followed and Gaara felt the pain in his heart worsening—only _this_ time, it was the sight of _her_ that left him more shaken and grief-ridden than the bitterness of her cowardice; she was stricken down with unfathomable regret. It was clear through the jumbled chaos of her declarations, she had never meant to betray him but had only been caught in the bitter trap of jealousy.

Gaara had tasted the very same evil on more than one occasion; every man that went near Matsuri, talked or even _looked_ at her, he had an insatiable desire to rip him apart, drink his blood and turn his bowels to ash. He'd felt it so keenly on a few particular occasions, that he'd barely controlled himself long enough to escape to a place of solitude, before exploding in possessive rage.

Jealousy was amongst the greatest of evils and now, he berated himself for not having the foresight to prevent Matsuri this pain. …Now, it was painfully obvious that he had been vastly too harsh with her and the self-loathing he detected behind those endless black eyes of hers, tore straight through his heart; she was punishing herself. And she undoubtedly believed he _hated_ her.

 _Regret._ O, it was crippling indeed.

"… _ **I don't expect…any forgiveness from you, but I—I am so, s-so sorry. I c-can't e-ever make up for it and I'm…s-sorry!"**_ She knelt before him, forehead to the floor and said nothing more. The repeated, broken words ' _I'm so sorry'_ were the only words echoed between them and it was this and the tortured cries of the woman he _loved_ , that broke the last shackle of Gaara's hardened spirit.

He was before her and like an angel of mercy, he bent over her agonizing frame and lifted her up by the shoulders. "That is enough, Matsuri…"

She was shaken from the feel of his strong hands on her arms and she trembled as he set get back against a wall. "You are not wrong—in saying that I will not forgive you; but it isn't _only_ you that has erred."

She felt a small glimmer of hope but crushed it the next moment.

He was so close that she couldn't escape him—the heat of his body both a welcomed blessing and a torturous curse. She _ached_ to touch him but he was now unattainable and she refused to humiliate herself and shame him any further. "…You can go—Kazekage-sama, I no longer deserve to-"

"No."

She bit back the rest of her words—that damned glimmer of hope seemed to return tenfold.

"I will not forgive you." He reiterated, further shattering her heart but she barred with it. "But I am not going anywhere."

He caught the sliver of confusion in her eyes and something _strong_ and passionate took over him and he _prayed_ and bargained and pleaded with the gods that _this_ time…it would finally be enough. "I don't forgive you—now look at me."

"W-what…?"

"I said _look_ at me, Matsuri."

She was trembling from head to toe, yet the tears had mostly abated so she could not determine why her body was suddenly seized with such an agonizing anxiety! "I…I c-can't!" She gasped, clenching her fists in an attempt to slow her heart that had begun to race as adrenaline pumped through her blood.

He knew she wouldn't relent unless he pushed her once more and so, steeling himself, he chose the words that would foil the last of her attempts to escape him: "Will you remain a _coward,_ even now? _Look at_ _ **me!**_ "

A startled cry tore out of her in the same moment that her eyes snapped to his, wide and glistening with tears.

 _Finally…_ he thought and for one heart-stopping moment, he drank greedily from the ebony depths of her gaze before cupping her face in his hands.

A shaky breath escaped him and he felt the moisture gather in his own eyes as he looked upon her. "…At last. My desert blossom bares her thorny heart to me…" He breathes, catching her completely by surprise before he's kissing her—first timidly, then firmly and it's only seconds before he's throwing all caution to the wind, mouth crushing hers hard enough to steal breath and then she's pinned bodily to the wall, nowhere to run and his lips _burning_ hers as they nibble and suckle greedily—tongue lapping and tasting like he's _never tasted anything_ before and he's starved.

He breaks away for only a moment and her gasp for breath ignites a fiery pleasure deep in his belly.

"G-Gah! Gaara-sama, what is the meaning of this?!" she is clearly shocked beyond all reason but he can't bring himself to explain just yet; not when he's had his first taste of her in a month, and he's dying for _more_. Resolved in his pursuit, he snags both her wrists in his hands, pins them above her head and catches her in a _licentious_ , open-mouthed kiss that would cause even the most lewd brotheled whore to blush in shame.

She _moans_ and shakes from the unbridled heat of it, nearly cowering in humiliation as the wetness between her thighs practically gushes forth, soaking her panties.

She'd been deprived of his touch for a month too long and her dripping center was an obvious testament to it.

Embarrassed—despite him having already claimed her before—she squeezes her thighs together in an attempt to stem the growing ache, but her amorous redhead has already noticed her increasing arousal and forcefully wedges a knee between her legs. "Don't even _dare_ to conceal your arousal from _me—_ Sabaku no hana,"

She whimpers, enthralled by the sinful darkness in his voice as it coils around her like thick _black_ silk, binding her body to his. "…not when the scent of it already— _saturates_ you." With another passionate press of lips, the two are swept away in the taste and feel of the other. But Gaara is not gentle in his ministrations, leaving Matsuri powerless and at his mercy. "You will _not_ refuse me." He commands darkly, roughly pulling at the strap of her tank top until the fabric rent. She was braless and with no chest bindings in place, her supple breasts were left bare to his hungry eyes. He wasted no time in taking one creamy mound into his mouth and suckling greedily until the tender bud was red and throbbing.

Matsuri let out a cry of discomfort when his teeth grazed the tender bud once more, but her Kazekage would not relent and simply bit down—not to draw blood but enough that her desperate cries turned pained and her hands clung to his bowed head, fingers tangling into crimson locks.

"Mmn! G-Gaara _please stop! T-That hurts…"_

His teeth grazed up the length of her throat and then, he let his tongue drag shamelessly across her parted lips, leaving a glistening trail of saliva in his wake.

"I told you. You. _Will not. Refuse me._ "

Her eyes shifted between his penetrating jade orbs, uncertain of whether his intention was to seduce her…or _punish_ her. Maybe it was a bit if both?

His gaze pierced hers as he once again dipped his tongue along the seam of her lips. "I will not relent—you—you are _mine_ and I refuse to let you go." His mouth descended to her shoulder where he lavished her flash with love bites, leaving her gasping and writing in his arms.

"Wha…? B-but y-you said you'd never-*gasp*-forgive me!"

"Hmm…you remember well." He murmured against her skin.

"T-Then w-why would yo-!"

Suddenly, his teeth sank harshly into her neck and she cried out. "Kyyyah! N-No Gaara p-please!"

He suckled harshly until a light stream of blood broke the surface of her skin. Lapping it up, he mouthed longer at the reddening wound until it purpled into a bruise. "You belong to _me,_ that is enough reason-"

"H-How can you possibly _want someone who you could never forgive or trust?!_ I d-don't understand anything you-"

" _ **Do you love me?"**_ He suddenly asked.

She was caught in his fiery gaze and for whatever reason, it brought fresh tears to her eyes and her lip quivered. "…Y-yes." She breathed, eyes falling shut as a few tears escaped down her cheeks.

" **Marry me."** His next words shook her to her very foundation and her hands flew to her lips as she shook her head in confounded disbelief. She couldn't utter a word—but the hope that had steadily bloomed in her heart, was now close to bursting fourth as more tears sprung to her eyes.

" _ **Marry me—Matsuri."**_ He said again, determined jade never leaving startled onyx depths as again, he spoke the impassioned words, "Marry me. Marry me, and the rest matters not; I do not care. I only want-"

She rested trembling hands on his chest, fumbling for words. "B-But you said—when the Council pressured you to marry, you refus-"

He shook his head, his body pressing closer to hers on instinct, as if she would disappear in the next second. "I refused because I had _already chosen."_

Her eyes blew wide—she didn't _dare_ believe it."

"It is _you_ or it will be _no one_ , Matsuri."

Her black eyes—so full of hope, were like dazzling onyx stones as she clung to his robes, white-knuckled and daring to dream that maybe… _just maybe…_

"Truly?" Her small voice shook with a tremor. "Do you— _truly mean it?_ If you only mean to punish me more, Sensei, then p-please, I _beg you,_ don't tempt me with such **glorious hopes,** or I will die the moment they are dashed!" In spite of her tears, a watery smile had broken the surface of her shattered visage, and the sincerity of it, brought Gaara inexplicable joy. Even in her grief as she _still_ withheld herself from grasping that hope with both hands, her _heart_ already knew it to be true and could not withhold its joy.

"Your thorns I love just as much as your radiant bloom, but it seems even _they_ will keep you from believing my words." His eyes softened as he took her face in his hands and touched her lips with his—tasting the salt of her tears that mixed with the pure sweetness of her. " _ **Marry me—**_ and that will be your forgiveness…" He promised as he looked deeply into her eyes, willing her to see that his heart was _open_ and laid bare for her; if only she would rise up and _take it._ "

"…Then _take me,_ Gaara-sama. She implored, raising trembling lips to his. " _Take me as though you_ _ **love**_ _me—and I will have no spirit to refuse."_ Subconsciously, her fingers had delved themselves beneath the folds of his robes and she felt the heated pulse of his skin beneath her hands and felt the raging beat of his heart from her touch.

Driven mad with a burning need to consume her, he snagged her wrist before she unraveled him further, and breathed hotly against her mouth, the words, " _Foolish Sabaku no hana—_ I have loved— **no one but you—and I never shall…"**

In a maddening frenzy he shredded the last of her garments and his and drove fiercely into her body, without preamble. She shook beneath him, tears streaming from her eyes and crying out his name in ecstasy, driving him deeper still. He was sheathed to the hilt in her warmth and _still_ he was not satisfied. Not until her neck, shoulders, chest and stomach were littered with bite marks and her hips and thighs covered in finger-shaped bruises, did he relent his ferocity enough to bow his head and lavish her mouth in a scorching kiss.

Matsuri did not shy from his stridulent touch—she reveled and embraced it all, knowing that it was only the terrible fierceness of his _love_ and passion that drove him on so fervently.

She accepted it all happily, with her arms and heart wide open.

"Matsuri?" she had breathed something in his ear but he had missed it.

She smiled into his neck and lips parting, she suckled languidly at his flesh, causing the man above her to twitch and _shiver_ as he moaned her name wantonly.

"…My answer is _yes."_ She said softly and she knew then that he had heard her for his beautiful jade eyes that she loved more than anything else, were filling with _tears_ even as he bowed over her and kissed her stupidly senseless.

"Truly?" And it pulled strongly on her heart, for he sounded like a child who had just been blessed with the most unimaginably precious gift and could hardly contain the depth of their happiness.

"Truly it is yes? You cannot take it back, you *kiss* you gave your word *kiss* I can—I _can_ claim it *kiss* as a promise…?"

"Gaara…my dearest, _sweetest_ Sensei, it could not be anything _but yes!_ Don't you understand yet, the depth of my love…?" she was _beaming_ at him now, full and radiant and in a burst of incandescent joy, Gaara's happiness spilled over, wetting his cheeks as he furiously peppered every inch of her blessed face, in kisses. "…O, I can't bear it!" He gasped, embracing her tightly and burying his face in her silken chestnut tresses. " _All this—inexplicable joy—_ I have you. My Sabaku no hana—I _have you at last, yet I fear I will burst apart at the seams!"_

Her own happy tears mixed with his and she took his face in her hands—kissing his forehead, his nose, his eyes—"Then don't hold back, Gaara—don't withhold your joy, Beloved; let it burst forth!" And she kissed him—her body falling into his as she bound herself to this man, wholly and completely. 

_Let it burst forth!_

 _Finale._

 **A/N: So should I just leave it here? Or do an epilogue, what do you guys think? Either way, this has been an INCREDIBLE JOURNEY! Leave all your reviews and let me know what you guys think! Thank you all so much, you don't know what your support and love for this story, means to me! Mwah!**

 **P.S. btdubbs, "Sabaku no hana" means "Desert blossom" and I just love how this nickname came into the story as I think it's perfect for Gaara and Matsuri.**


	34. Epilogue: Thank You

**Epilogue:**

 _ **Thank you**_

 **/**

She'd tried to keep a hold on her, but _damn_ _it,_ that child moved crazy quick! 2 years old and she was quick as a flash and a firecracker to boot! Her mother had just crested the stairs—huffing and puffing—when she caught sight of the little thing already halfway down the hall and making a hasty beeline right for the Kazekage's office. "child _don't you dare,_ your father's in a meeting right now-don't even think about it!" The woman made a mad dash for the toddling baby but she wasn't quick enough; the secretary was just exiting the office after receiving a few orders, and the redheaded toddler popped right through the crack.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, surprised and then cast a knowing and sympathetic smile to the approaching brunette who was now windblown, sweaty, _completely out of breath._

"Ah, Matsuri-sama—escaped again, eh?"

The brunette shook her head, waving her hand about in a I-give-up gesture as she moved towards the door. "…I _swear, this child!_ I was right on time to pick her up from Kankuro and Sakura's but—she-she's so _fast!_ It's like—she _knows_ when she wants to see her papa and I just-can't keep up!" the secretary's giggles echoed just as Matsuri pushed open the door. Their stood her husband—handsome and regal as he stood behind his desk speaking with the visiting dignitaries from Cloud—and _completely nonplused_ that a tiny bundle of red and jade had perched itself _atop his head_ and was presently wrecking havoc on his hair.

The spectacle was comical and _shocking_ to say the least, yet Gaara gave no indication that he was perturbed and simply continued on with the meeting. "This is exceptional work—I appreciate Raikage-sama's efforts and support. That will be all, gentleman." He shook their hands, then caught sight of a chestnut-haired beauty standing in his doorway. No one else would have noticed, but his eyes _warmed_ at the sight of her. In her traditional white, red and jade robes that signified her Kaze-hime status, Matsuri was a vision and took his breath away every time.

At the moment, his wife of 3 years was eyeing the little devil on his head, with a dubious look. Her eyes fell to him and she smiled apologetically. "Forgive me, Gaara but…there was just—no stopping her this time." She huffed, gesturing wearily to their daughter as she was promptly plucked from his head and wrapped in the arms of her father. "Ah, no need, Matsuri; I know what a—trial she can be. Rozū," he eyed the little thing in his arms, an admonishing look in his sharp jade orbs that was only softened by the miniscule smile touching his lips. "What have I told you about listening to your mother?" The little girl stared up at him—wide black eyes just like her mother's, blinking wonderingly at him. Then, there was a spitting sound as she proceeded to blow raspberries while giving him the most adorable toothy grin.

"Excuse me, but—what is the meaning of letting little children just wonder into the Kazekage's office? Surely that is neglectful on _your_ part, madam…"

The young ambassador who spoke was a newly-dubbed Cloud chūnin. He was naïve and therefore wouldn't have been thoroughly briefed on the identities of all Gaara's staff—much less knowing the 'madam' he addressed was the Kazekage's _wife;_ knowing this did not keep Gaara's temper from bristling and his eyes snapped to the young Chūnin, narrowing. "When it is the child's own mother—and my _wife—_ there is no— _neglect_ to speak of." He stood to his feet and coming to Matsuri's side, he passed Rozū back to her mother and placed a protective hand on the small of his wife's back, still sharply eying the now-flustered Could nin. "You should be more aware of your surroundings and not allow the arrogance of your newly-established position, go to your head." He admonished sternly.

"Gaara, it's alright." Ever the voice of assurance, Matsuri's hand came to rest lightly against her husband's chest and she gave him a small, soothing smile.

"H-Hai, f-forgive me, Kazekage-sama, Kaze-hime, p-please pardon me, I was-"

But the lovely brunette only turned a kind smile upon the youth. "Oh there's no need, really! I really don't mind, plus—I get all twittery and anxious around important people too." She offered in a conspiratorial whisper that had the young man sagging a bit in relief and smiling sheepishly.

The meeting was adjourned soon after and ever the benevolent hostess, Matsuri showed the Cloud nin out with a pleasant farewell and a lovely smile. Once Temari had come by and picked up little Rozū, "I'll head home with this little rascal first, you two take your time!"—as she and Shikamaru were visiting for a week—the office was empty and Matsuri and Gaara were officially alone.

Turning back towards her husband, she found him standing beside his desk just watching her. There was a _look_ in his eyes—one she'd come to know well, yet it still caused insane butterflies in her stomach and the blood _always_ rushed to her cheeks; it was a heated, _predatory_ look that promised many things—chiefly, all the ways he'd be making her _his._

She bit her lip, smiling guilessly at him. "You know, you were a bit harsh with that Chūnin; he was obviously _just_ newly promoted so he couldn't have known who I was."

"That isn't an excuse, Matsuri." The redhead stated firmly—head cocking and eyes intently focused on his 'prize' as she moved about the room, tidying up and reorganizing his things as she always did. He suspected the long-passed days she'd spent as his personal assistant, still lingered in her blood somewhere; old habits die hard, as they say. She was at his desk now, shuffling a few papers here and there and staking certain files into respective orderly piles that were naturally, according to category. "If his knowledge of a situation is unclear, he should rectify it, _not_ make assumptions." He continued, and Matsuri only smiled, an airy giggle escaping her lips. "And _you_ should try to be less defensive when it comes to me."

He caught her wrist then and turned her so she was facing him—her back to the desk—and his arms caging her in as he loomed over her. "I will always be defensive." He murmured, eyes growing half-lidded as the scent of her hair engulfed him. "…You are my wife—and I will _never_ let _anyone_ insult you. Or Rozū." He whispered just before bowing his head to kiss her. His lips only ghosted over hers lightly for a moment, before his need became apparent and he gripped her hips tightly, pressing his body flush against hers as the kiss became heated.

She planted her hands on the desk, leaning on them for support but then his hands were digging into her hips and he was hoisting her up, setting her butt firmly upon his desk, before swooping down for another hungry kiss. His tongue swept across her bottom lip and then delved into her mouth. He moaned at the taste of her and splaying a hand at the small of her back, he forced her legs apart with his knee and nestled himself there, pressing her hips as snugly into his as he could. Another gutteral groan rumbled deep in his throat and subconsciously, his hips rolled sensuously into hers which elicited a mewling, gasping cry from her and she pulled back. "G-Gaara! What o-on e-earth?!" She always stuttered when heavily flustered and he adored it.

"Today has been torturous." Was his only explanation before he was slanting his mouth over hers as his free hand found its way into her long, chestnut tresses. "…Especially when—every moment of it, I've spent just _wanting_ you—so badly." He breathed huskily against her lips, refusing to let her go.

"B-But what do you mean? I, it's still early, someone might—and last night, we-" his mouth upon hers was relentless so she found herself having no choice but to speak hurriedly in between fevered kisses. "We w-were—well it was early morning, yet we were s-still…"

At his wife's flustered attempts to remind him of the—endlessly _passionate night_ they'd shared, a smirk found it's way to his lips and he barely pulled away just enough to say, "Do you really think it is enough? My hunger for you, is _never_ satiated…my _Sabaku no hana…"_ the loving endearment rolled off his tongue in a way that calmed and thrilled her at the same time.

Breaking his kiss for a moment, he settled for letting his lightly-parted lips caress her jawline and then her delectable throat where he paused to nuzzle lovingly. "You are my oasis—the only water that will quench my desert-scorched heart…" he mouthed at the juncture of her shoulder—his tongue licking at her pulse point, feeling it jump and stutter beneath his lips. He smirked rakishly as he felt his wife's body melt into his—her arms wound around his neck as she sighed in ecstasy. " _Okay…_ so _maybe_ I…ahh…like it when you *gasp* get defensive of me…" his mouth closed over her racing pulse, suckling greedily until he'd left a purplish mark. "I have my ways—many ways, in fact; would you care to know them?"

She could hear the seductive teasing in his voice—the deep tenored tone wrapping around her like black silk—and she barely bit back a wanton moan. "Mmm…depends; what…did you…have in mind?" She breathed, her voice airy as she became heady with the endless sensations he evoked upon her.

She hadn't even noticed his wandering hand sneaking beneath her robes—too distracted by his sinfully delectable mouth—until she felt the warmth of his calloused palm suddenly engulfing her breast. She cried out in surprise and mind-numbing pleasure; thrusting her chest further into his grasp as her body began to shake, tremulous.

"Let me _show you…"_ He whispered darkly, tweaking her nipple in answer, and delighting in the keening moans and desperate cries of his name that begged him _'Oh gods, please don't stop—Gaara, Gaara, don't stop…'._ She was powerless and weak in his hands and he relished how uninhibited was her need for him.

 _She wasn't the only one._

Suddenly with a flick of his wrist and a sweeping arc of sand,papers, files, scrolls and everything else on his desk, was cast uncaringly to the floor, and Matsuri found herself sprawled across the tabletop on her back—hair disheveled and robes hanging off her shoulders and riding up dangerously on her thighs. Wide black eyes snapped above her and she was rendered speechless and open-mouthed at the vision of a flaming redhead looming over her, eyes inflamed with insatiable hunger and desire, and poised to _strike._

 _He was like the deadly jade-eyed panther that stalked it's prey—and she was his meal._ _ **…Holy hell.**_ Her breath grew ragged, her chest heaving and her pupils dilated as she waited for the inevitable moment he would pounce.

"...Do you doubt me yet… _hime?_ " He purred darkly.

She could only manage a wordless shake of her head which elicited a dark, satisfied chuckle from her husband and master. "Good. Know this and remember…I will _always_ defend what is mine, before the face of all—and you are _never_ permitted to refute me again." His voice had sharpened with a warning and it was only then that Matsuri realized her well-meaning attempts to difuse the earlier situation, had clearly _displeased_ him.

And a displeased Gaara was a _dangerous Gaara._

Her skin tingled as the thrilling anticipation mounted and her trembling lips parted, only able to utter one word: "…Gomen…Anata."

"Hmm. It is fortunate—that you dismissed the Cloud delegation when you did. " He ran the tip of his tongue up the length of her neck and then suckled shamelessly at her chin. Jade eyes lidded with raw desire, locked into her, binding her under their hypnotic spell. "One moment more…and I would have stripped you bare and _devoured you_ right before their eyes."

This shocking admission had the whole of Matsuri's body bursting into flames, scandalized. The _shocking, unabashed audacity!_ For him to say such—lewd, licentously shameless things! What made it even worse was one look in his eyes, told her he meant every word of it. She would've passed out cold but Gaara had parted his robes and now laid his lean, powerful, _naked_ body atop hers and she was pulled back from the precipice of impecuniosity, and overcome with unquenchable _need._

"Perhaps— _now_ would be a good time." He mused, teasing her with barely-there brushes of his lips against hers and the subtle yet deliciously torturous undulation of his hips against hers. "To—devour you…shall I? _"_ She was close to tears now, the coil of nerves in the pit of her belly was wound so tight that the slightest touch of Gaara'sbody _anywhere_ upon her own, was maddening, nearly bringing her to the edge of ecstasy, only to leave her just shy of and writhing in desperate need and frustration. "please… _please, oh please,_ you can't keep… _torturing_ me like this!" She begged.

"Like what?" he asked innocently. Then he rolled his hips teasingly into hers and as her back bowed off the desk and she cried out in frustration, he decided to bring an end to her drawn out anguish, as well as his own. Bending so his mouth was at her ear, he nibbled and suckled her flesh before whispering hotly against her, "Then. Tell me you want me to devour you. Tell me, Koi, and I will."

Her body shook and writhed beneath him, " _Please….p-please Gaara, please devour me.. please, please, I need—aaahh!"_ Her pleas morphed into a cry of savage need and pleasure as her lover sheathed himself inside her dripping heat, ending her misery as he filled her at last.

Sobbing with relief, she clung to him for dear life as he wrapped possessive arms around her body and gathered it to his.

' _Mine, mine—always mine'_ He repeated...and devour her, he did.

/

That night, they snuggled in bed—Matsuri's back reclined against Gaara's chest as he held her—watching their little daughter sleeping in the ornate crib her uncle kankuro had made her, in the corner of their master bedroom.

The clock in the hallway echoed softly, signaling the midnight hour, and Matsuri's face lit up in a tired smile as she turned in the arms of her Beloved and planted a gentle kiss to his lips. "…it's midnight."

"Mm." he kissed her nose.

"Happy Birthday… _Sensei."_ She whispered lovingly into his ear and the Kazekage actually _blushed_ and shook his head in wonderment. "You never cease to amaze me…you never forget."

"How could I? Oh, _and_ I have something for you." She moved to get up but was only pulled back against her husband and his arms tightened their embrace around her waist. His nose buried in her hair and he inhaled, shaking his head. "Mm, don't—I have everything I need; I have already received the greatest possible gift."

He kissed her hair and she smiled warmly, her arms tightening over his in a return embrace as her eyes strayed to their slumbering child. "True. I think the fact that she was born in your birthday, is—beyond perfect."

"Hmm." He hummed in agreement. "…I agree, but that honestly _isn't_ the gift I was referring to at this moment…" he squeezed her, dropping a kiss to her shoulder—right where her mark was.

Curious, Matsuri leaned forward and turned her head to look at him, her brows furrowed in question. "Oh?"

He was watching her, the beginnings of a knowing smile lurking in his normally stoic jade orbs.

"…then what…what 'gift' are you referring to…?"

There was a long moment of silence before Gaara sat up, leaned forward and slowly combed his fingers through her hair as he stared deeply into her eyes. His other hand found its way to where hers rested on the bed next to her hip and he laced their fingers together—his eyes now memorizing the contours of her face. " _You."_ He murmured, and then he caught her lips in a slow, deep kiss, pouring all of his ardent love and devotion into it, holding nothing back.

The depth of emotions communicated in that one kiss, were overwhelming and the tears glistening in Matsuri's eyes said as much and more.

He cupped her cheek, his own eyes shining with unshed tears and his deep voice was thick with emotion as he spoke softly, "You are my greatest gift, Matsuri—my most cherished treasure." His thumb traced loving circles along her cheekbone as he spoke. "Without you, I wouldn't have Rozū; Thank you, for loving me," he kissed her forehead. Then, his eyes locked with hers and he _smiled_ a brilliant joyous smile, his heart so full of inexplicable happiness, it overflowed. "Thank you, for giving me your heart—and _thank you…for being born."_ And his lips descended upon hers—eyes full of tears, heart and soul _complete._

 _ **Fin.**_

 _ **/**_

 _ **And it is DONE! Thank you all for staying with me through this incredible journey! If you haven't already, check out my other moat recent works:**_ "Drabble Me This", "Not A Replacement", and "Once Upon a Dream: Vignettes"! _**Tell your friends, too! In the meantime, I am off to complete more grand works of fiction!**_

 _ **Ciao, my loves!**_


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